MOST AGREE MEDICINAL MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGAL

Recent public hearings at the Capitol illustrate that while there are
strong divisions among Wisconsinites over issues like gay marriage
and concealed carry, legal access to medical marijuana is something
most people agree on.

Polling in 2002 and 2005 found upwards of 80 percent support among
state residents, a number few, if any, other issues command. Yet
comments by some Assembly Health Committee members during the hearing
on Nov. 22 show a large disconnect between the will of the people and
the views of lawmakers who represent them. One would think that when
an issue enjoys such popular support, lawmakers would put aside their
personal beliefs and default to the wishes of constituents.

AB-740, Rep. Gregg Underheim's medical marijuana legislation, is an
extremely moderate bill. As one patient who testified at the hearing
later confided, "It pretty much keeps current law as it is."

Federal patient Irvin Rosenfeld testified at the hearing that he
legally receives 11 ounces of medical marijuana from the federal
government's stash every 25 days. AB-740, by contrast, only allows
patients to possess 2.5 ounces at a time.

Some of the best advice of the day for the committee came from IMMLY
founder Jacki Rickert, a Wisconsin patient approved in 1990 to
participate in the same program as Irvin Rosenfeld, but never
supplied after the program was closed to new participants in 1992.
"Vote from your heart," Jacki implored committee members, "not what
the next election will bring."

The truth is, elected representatives do not have to fear losing
their seats for supporting medical marijuana. If anything, the
opposite is true. The Health Committee heard a lot of compelling
testimony about the benefits of therapeutic cannabis and the need to
protect Wisconsin patients already using it as medicine.

The next step is now up to the committee. They can vote to give
suffering patients and their families hope this holiday season by
sending AB-740 to the entire Assembly for a vote, or they can play
Scrooge and vote to kill compassionate legislation already working
well in 10 states comprising 20 percent of the U.S. population.

Gary Storck, director of communications

Is My Medicine Legal YET?

Madison