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Group Of Medical Pot Backers Criticizes Dayton

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Advocates of expanding Minnesota's new medical marijuana program to allow more people to qualify say they have the support of every gubernatorial candidate except incumbent Democrat Mark Dayton.

Members of Minnesotans for Compassionate care said Thursday all of Dayton's rivals signed statements pledging to reshape the program so it would cover 38,000 people instead of the estimated 5,000. The law passed last spring restricts the drug's delivery to pill, oil or vaporized forms and limits what ailments qualify for legal use. The program won't get off the ground until 2015.

Republican Jeff Johnson, the Independence Party's Hannah Nicollet, Libertarian Chris Holbrook and the Grassroots Party's Chris Wright say they'd be willing to go further.

Dayton says he isn't signing any pre-election pledges but won't rule out an eventual expansion.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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