The Billings Gazette, 10 Oct 2012 – Montana voters on Nov. 6 will approve or reject five ballot items including whether to require parental notification before a minor’s abortion and whether to declare that corporations do not have constitutional rights regarding campaign spending. But along with citizen lawmakers in five other states, marijuana-related ballot initiatives will, in the long run, have a far greater impact nationally. Medical marijuana has already been approved in Montana. Voters in two states, Massachusetts and Arkansas, will decide if marijuana can be used for medical purposes with the advice of a licensed doctor. If passed, Massachusetts will join nearby states — Connecticut, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island — where the drug is already used to ease pain caused by cancer and other serious medical conditions.