DENVER -- A packed room inside the old Supreme Court Chambers drew so many speakers the hearing dragged on from it's 1:30 start to well past 9:00 p.m Thursday.

The latest version, one that Rep. Tom Massey told the House Judiciary committee had been re-written at least three times, included a provision allowing dispensaries to get a state license by July of 2011 and keep the license for two years.

The medical marijuana centers could only grow and sell only marijuana from Colorado and would be restricted beyond 1,000 feet from schools and day care operations.

The Department of Revenue would issue the licenses for the centers and the Health Department would regulate the medical marijuana patient cards and the doctors that issue them.

If Thursday's hearing showed anything, it's that disagreement reigns over the topic allowed by voters with the passage of Amendment 20 in 2000.

"The medicines that the VA (Veterans Administration) gives me are nothing but poison ma'am. They shorten my life, they don't let me eat. They don't let me sleep," said Kevin Remsinger, who told the committee he's a double-amputee after a mine exploded as he served for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2001. "We're stuck in federal housing. Where else are we going to medicate? You don't want us on the street corner. You don't want us at the parks. Where else are we going to go, sir?"

Another young man described himself as a recovering drug addict who graduated from marijuana to heroin.

"I now mentor a 14-year-old in Colorado Springs who talks about smoking marijuana that (comes) from the dispensaries. I have friends that, you know, they go to the dispensaries when they can't get weed from the street," James Petrachus said.

Through it all, law enforcement made it clear they don’t' support any form of center or dispensary.

"In my opinion they are illegal and they could be shut down today if law enforcement decided to do so," said Jeff Blue, deputy attorney general.

As of late Thursday, no additional hearing date had been scheduled.