A plan to repeal Montana’s medical marijuana law drew a large crowd of opposition at the state legislature on Wednesday as opponents of the measure gathered to voice their feelings.

At the hearing only 28 signed up to testify on behalf of the repeal, while 86 people signed up to oppose the bill. Many of the 86 agreed the system needed to be tweaked, but all agreed that prohibition was not the answer.

But House Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade and the sponsor of House Bill 161, disagreed, saying the only answer was to shut the system down. He compared the recent explosion of the medical marijuana industry to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

“We’re not talking about the dikes holding back the water anymore,” Milburn said. “We’re talking about how do you rebuild the city?”

Let’s stop and examine the ludicrous nature of that comparison. On its worst day, cannabis is a non-toxic plant that has never killed a single person; Hurricane Katrina caused incredible death, damage, and displacement to millions of people. Where exactly was he going with this analogy?

In any event, we can find no reports of societal destruction coming out of Montana. It seems medical marijuana has not caused the fabric of their entire culture to shred. In fact, its as if Hurricane Katrina never even hit Montana.

The days of politicians being able to claim the sky is falling because of medical cannabis are over. Most don’t buy the propaganda anymore, and with good reason. None of the doomsday scenarios have come to be.