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Bill may legalize medicinal weed
Co-authored by 2 Wisconsin lawmakers, legislation follows lead of 14 other states
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After last weekend’s Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival protest on the Capitol steps brought attention to the issue of medical marijuana, two Wisconsin Democrats have proposed legislation that would legalize cannabis for medical purposes in the state.
According to a statement from advocacy group Is My Medicine Legal Yet?, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, are the co-authors of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, which if passed would allow terminally or seriously ill patients to grow or have someone else grow a small amount of cannabis for medical use.
Rickert is a Mondovi, Wis., citizen suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome who was never given federal government-issued joints for medical use, according to the statement.
Michigan voters approved a similar initiative in a statewide referendum, which is the basis for the Wisconsin bill, said Gary Storck, spokesperson for IMMLY. The bill is the early stages of development, currently gaining co-sponsorships from Wisconsin senators and representatives.
Storck said the legislation covers a broad base of debilitating illnesses and he named post-traumatic stress disorder as a prominent target of the bill.
“It’s been known for many years that cannabis is a potent remedy for the symptoms of PTSD,” Storck said. “It helps them sleep and wean themselves off of alcohol and other substances that may be preventing them from readjusting.”
Stork said he hopes the inclusion of PTSD as a debilitating condition will compel the state Legislature to give more consideration to the bill. He also said medical marijuana dispensaries more tightly regulated than those found in California would be allowed for patients with a state-issued ID card.
Storck also cited President Barack Obama’s administration’s decision not to interfere with state-sponsored cannabis dispensaries, an overridden veto in Rhode Island allowing dispensaries and the lack of hostility from Wisconsin citizens and legislators as factors that have made the issue more mainstream.
According to Erpenbach spokesperson Julie Laundrie, the issue has become more legitimate around the country in the past years; 13 states now allow the use of medical marijuana and 14 states currently have medical marijuana legislation pending.
Laundrie also said she believes the issue of medical marijuana will go beyond partisan politics.
“Mostly, people who would be using medical marijuana would be at the end of life or in very dire situations,” Laundrie said. “Everyone knows someone that has really struggled when they were dying or when they were in treatment that was really painful or awful for them. I don’t think that has anything to do with party lines.”
Since the bill is still in its preliminary stages, it is difficult to measure Republican support or opposition to the bill. However, Kimber Liedl, spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said the legalization of marijuana should not be allowed, even under medical circumstances.
“The addictive and dangerous nature of the drug outweighs its benefits,” Liedl said. “It’s not high on the legislative agenda for this session. Other initiatives such as drunken driving legislation hold a greater priority than the legalization of marijuana.”
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IP hash: 3c8e9aa2
As a nation, we would be wise to adopt an approach allowing individuals to grow a little marijuana for personal use. It would put the illegal drug dealers out of business and get them and their guns out of our neighborhoods. Limit the size of the growing area or the number of plants, and put a small user-fee on it to cover administrative costs, something like a fishing license. One possibility:$100 per year for a permit to cultivate a dozen plants. It’s a win-win.
IP hash: 34f51f46
States’ Rights!
IP hash: c5b2744f
Does the government tax personal home breweries? If this is to be treated as medicine, do you really want to start taxing pharmaceuticals?
Cannabis has never taken a life, but has been found by every Country, including the US, to be worthy of medical research.
At last count, the AMA Interns, APC altogether, APA and nearly every other major medical professional organization are behind at least exploring the benefits, most of them are simply ok with medical use.
IP hash: bd8aa4b0
Ryan Rainey and BH copy editors,
Which would the AP Stylebook dictate the use of in your title: “weed” or “marijuana”? The difference between the two means a lot to those of us who are for both medical marijuana research and the legalization for responsible adult use.
IP hash: 92a1fc6b
State run ??!! That would really suck. Imagine if you had to depend on the state to supply you your meds? And what kind of schwag would it be?
IP hash: d32d65be
Liedl should know that marijuana is really not addictive physically, although some people do experience psychological addiction it is not a huge number. As someone who was addicted to pharmaceuticals, carelessly prescribed to me by a family doctor, I know what addiction is, and marijuana is not. Dangerous? No one has died from smoking pot, but alcohol, and prescription drugs and even things like aspirin and tylenol kill a lot of people. Seriously? I should get just as much say as this guy.
Also, I have PTSD, I’ve been prescribed a lot of things and all of them had way too many side effects. They make you an entirely different person- I could barely even function in college. Pot, on the other hand, helps immensely with little side effects besides maybe spending a lot on candy. It’s time people started learning about it instead of echoing BS propaganda.
IP hash: bc29c39d
Valid medicinal value, it’s a victimless crime, the War on Drugs WAY too costly, too many arrests for simple possession, tax it and use the money to pay for health insurance and to reduce the deficit…Need I say more?
Woodstock Universe supports legalization of Marijuana for a number of reasons. Check them out and vote in our poll “Should marijuana be legalized?” at http://woodstockuniverse.com
Current poll results: 96% for legalization…4% opposed
Peace, love, music, one world, RFWoodstock
IP hash: bc29c39d
Valid medicinal value, it’s a victimless crime, the War on Drugs WAY too costly, too many arrests for simple possession, tax it and use the money to pay for health insurance and to reduce the deficit…Need I say more?
Woodstock Universe supports legalization of Marijuana for a number of reasons. Check them out and vote in our poll “Should marijuana be legalized?” at http://woodstockuniverse.com
Current poll results: 96% for legalization…4% opposed
Peace, love, music, one world, RFWoodstock
IP hash: f36b0c7c
i am a wisconsin native who moved to california so i no longer had to be a criminal for using the only medication that helps me with NO deadly side effects whatsoever. i was arrested 3 times in less than 18 months for possessing small amounts of marijuana. i moved to california, saw my doctor here and suddenly was a patient with rights rather than a felon, which my next arrest would have been. my mental illness makes it impossible for me to keep any real narcotic pain pills for my condition, i abuse them or attempt suicide. i can’t do either with weed. to this day there have STILL BEEN ZERO DEATHS from marijuana (even aspirin is responsible for 500 deaths per year on average). it should be recognized for its miraculous medicinal uses, responsible adult use, and it’s potential for industrial use to save the planet. HEMP FOR A GREEN PLANET!!! in 1942 the government said HEMP FOR VICTORY, check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne9UF-pFhJY
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On October 2, Rep. Mark Pocan and Senator Jon Erpenbach sent out the Co-Sponsorship memo for LRB-2517/1, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act. This legislation, based on the state of Michigan law that was passed by MI voters in Nov. 2008 with a majority in every county, would make Wisconsin the 14th US State to legalize medical cannabis.
It is now time to act!
Send a pre-written letter to your State Senator and State Assembly Representative by clicking this link: (http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=14115736). Call your legislators via the Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-362-9472 (M-F 8a-4:30p) or contact them through “Who Are My Legislators?” (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx)
Please act now. We only have until Oct. 22 to get as many cosponsors as possible to ensure maximum support for this critical legislation.
Please act now and ask others to do so.
This is our best opportunity ever to reform Wisconsin’s antiquated cannabis laws!
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Dear Badger Herald:
Your headline using the word weed is just not right and we are calling you out on it.
Please substitute “prescribtion drugs” in all future stories to “MEDICINAL CHEMICALS”.
Upset but understanding.
Wisconsin Medical Marijuana Users.