A new version of a medical cannabis bill under consideration by state lawmakers strikes a requirement that patients undergo criminal background checks and fleshes out protections for pharmacists and physicians involved in dispensing the drug, considered illegal under federal law.
But the revised legislation, released Monday evening, preserves the basic structure of the proposal pitched by medical marijuana advocates, Proposition 2 opponents and state officials last month.
"The big concepts have remained, but we've found more artful ways to address the small-to-medium issues based on a ton of input," said Connor Boyack, founder of the libertarian Libertas Institute and a medical marijuana advocate.