Amend the bill in section 1 in subsection 1-B in the last line (page 1, line 8 in L.D.) by striking out the following: " and who is a qualifying patient's primary care provider"

Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 (page 1, lines 9 to 13 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following:

Amend the bill by striking out all of section 7 (page 2, lines 4 to 21 in L.D.)

Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 8 in paragraph G in subparagraph (5) in the last line (page 5, line 5 in L.D.) by striking out the following: " and" and inserting the following: 'and'

Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 8 in paragraph G in subparagraph (6) in the last line (page 5, line 8 in L.D.) by striking out the following: " . ; and" and inserting the following: '.'

Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 8 in paragraph G by striking out all of subparagraph (7) (page 5, lines 9 to 11 in L.D.)

Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 8 by inserting at the end the following:

Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 15 to 17 (page 5, lines 36 to 40 and page 6, lines 1 to 7 in L.D.)

Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 19 and 20 (page 6, lines 13 to 38 and page 7, lines 1 to 10 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.

SUMMARY

This amendment is the majority report of the committee. It makes the following changes to the bill:

1. The amendment removes the requirement that a certified nurse practitioner who may certify medical use of marijuana for a patient must be the patient's primary care provider;

2. The amendment adds to the definition of "prepared marijuana" to include the by-products of leaves and flowers and provides that prepared marijuana does not include hashish;

3. The amendment removes from the bill provisions that change the commissioner with responsibility for best practices in pest management from the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Commissioner of Health and Human Services;

4. The amendment adds to the provisions on confidentiality in the medical use of marijuana program that the confidentiality provisions do not prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from complying with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 175. The amendment strikes from the bill a provision that creates an exception to confidentiality for release by the department to Maine Revenue Services for taxation compliance purposes;

5. The amendment removes from the bill provisions on complaint investigation, penalties, injunctive relief and attorneys' fees and costs. The amendment retains provisions in the bill allowing the department to ensure compliance, including, but not limited to, laboratory testing on soil, marijuana plant samples and samples of products; and

6. The amendment directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a framework for processing, documenting and investigating complaints concerning the implementation of the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act. It directs the department to review mechanisms for processing, documenting and investigating complaints and to report its recommendations to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters by December 1, 2014. The amendment directs the department to include in its report whether enacting new laws or authorizing new rules, either routine technical or major substantive, is required to implement the recommendations of the department.