A seminar for medical marijuana cardholders will soon be making stops in Missoula and Kalispell, in addition to other Montana cities.

The seminar is hosted by Chris Lindsey, medical marijuana attorney based in Missoula and board member of the Montana Cannabis Industry Association. Lindsey has represented dozens of medical marijuana patients around the state in both criminal cases and in lawsuits against the state and local governments. He regularly testified at legislative sessions in 2009 and 2011 and served on the Child and Family Services Interim Committee in 2010 seeking improvements to the state’s law. In addition to legal requirements, Lindsey will also discuss the voter initiatives and signature drives related to medical marijuana and marijuana legalization in the state over the past year.

Montana’s medical marijuana law was designed to drastically reduce the number of medical marijuana providers in the state. In 2010, there was one caregiver for every six patients. Today, that ratio is 1-to-47, and more than 45 percent of the remaining patients have no provider at all, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Because caregivers often assist patients with news and information, today there are few ways for cardholders to learn about the program or current legal requirements under state law.