Da 11-0460 in the Supreme Court of the State Of
September 11 2012 DA 11-0460 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 2012 MT 201 MONTANA CANNABIS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, MARK MATTHEWS, SHIRLEY HAMP, SHELLY YEAGER, JANE DOE, JOHN DOE #1, JOHN DOE #2, MICHAEL GECI-BLACK, M.D., JOHN STOWERS, M.D., POINT HATFIELD, and CHARLIE HAMP, Plaintiffs, Appellees, and Cross-Appellants, v. STATE OF MONTANA, Defendant, Appellant, and Cross-Appellee. APPEAL FROM: District Court of the First Judicial District, In and For the County of Lewis and Clark, Cause No. DDV 11-518 Honorable James P. Reynolds, Presiding Judge COUNSEL OF RECORD: For Appellant: Steve Bullock, Montana Attorney General; James P. Molloy (argued), J. Stuart Segrest, Assistant Attorneys General, Helena, Montana For Appellees: James H. Goetz (argued); J. Devlan Geddes; Goetz, Gallik & Baldwin, P.C., Bozeman, Montana Argued and Submitted: May 30, 2012 Decided: September 11, 2012 Filed: __________________________________________ Clerk Justice Michael E Wheat delivered the Opinion of the Court. ¶1 The State of Montana (“State”) appeals from an order preliminarily enjoining parts of the Montana Marijuana Act, § 50-46-301 et seq., MCA. Montana Cannabis Industry Association, Mark Matthews, Shirley Hamp, Shelly Yeager, Jane Doe, John Doe #1, John Doe #2, Michael Geci-Black, John Stowers, Point Hatfield, and Charlie Hamp (collectively “the Plaintiffs”) cross-appeal from the same order. We reverse and remand. BACKGROUND ¶2 In 2004, Montana voters approved the use of medical marijuana through the passage of I-148, the Medical Marijuana Act. The 2004 Medical Marijuana Act left in place those provisions in the Montana criminal code that make it illegal to cultivate, possess, distribute or use marijuana, while simultaneously protecting authorized users of medical marijuana from being prosecuted.
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