The House Health & Welfare Committee began an informational hearing on HB 19 today, Rep. Tom Trail's bill to legalize medical marijuana for limited use by the chronically ill, but ran out of time, and will continue the hearing on Monday. Trail told the committee that if enacted, the proposed law would be the most restrictive medical marijuana law in the nation. He said medical marijuana can effectively treat patients suffering from serious diseases and pain, without the costs and side effects of other prescription medications.

Among those testifying so far was William Esbensen, of Ontario, Ore., who told the committee, "I am an Idahoan. I had to move to Oregon to legally get medicine." He told the committee, "I'm just asking you ... as humans to have an open mind, do the research. You'll find that medical marijuana works for a lot of patients."

After the hearing, committee Chairwoman Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, said, "Personally, I guess my opinion is that it's probably much less toxic than a lot of the pharmaceutical drugs that are produced that people take now." McGeachin said it will take a major educational process before Idaho is ready to pass such a law. "To me, this is just kind of a very first step ... to start talking about it and learning about it." McGeachin said Trail has proposed such legislation for years, and "he's never been granted a public hearing. I think it's an interesting discussion. ... It never hurts to talk about different ideas."