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January 27, 2010
The timelessness of Wisconsin's out of touch state lawmakers
Posted by Gary Storck
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Gov. Jim Doyle did not mention medical cannabis in his "State of the State" (SOTS) Address to a joint session of the state legislature Tuesday night. Medical cannabis supporters have had a presence at the SOTS dating back to the early 1990's when Tommy Thompson had only been governor 6 or 7 years, and we'll likely be there in 2011. Just as timeless as our presence at the SOTS is the lack of movement session after session after session.
Patients are looking to lawmakers to get it together and pass, This Bill, This Time! Let us hope they do not fail us again!
Sent to the Wausau Daily Herald 01/23/10. No confirmation or publication as of 01/26/10. -- GS
Six years ago today (1/23/04), I had a letter published in the Wausau Daily Herald, "Support medical marijuana bill," in which I noted that then-Rep. Gregg Underheim (R-Oshkosh), then chair of the Assembly Health Committee, planned to introduce medical marijuana legislation.
The letter contained this timeless passage, which sadly applies equally well today as it did in 2004: “Failing to pass this bill this session means that suffering Wisconsinites who can benefit from medicinal cannabis will have to continue to choose between breaking the law or going without and suffering needlessly for another two years. Many will not live that long; some will die today.”
Can anyone begin to comprehend how many people have died in Wisconsin just from multiple sclerosis in those six years? How about cancer, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s? This session we have a better bill, AB554/SB368, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act (JRMMA), sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee). The JRMMA is named after a Wisconsin woman who was approved for a small federal medical marijuana program 20 years ago, but never supplied. Jacki led a 210-mile weeklong wheelchair “Journey for Justice” from Mondovi to the Capitol in Madison in 1997.
Wisconsin’s state motto is supposed to be “Forward”, but while patients in 14 other states now have this therapy legally available, our state seems to be stuck in something like that movie, “Groundhog Day”, but instead of Bill Murray, it's seriously ill patients like Jacki Rickert going to sleep thinking things might change, but instead waking up screaming in pain asking, “Is My Medicine Legal YET?”
Medical marijuana has long had overwhelming public support in Wisconsin. A new nationwide poll found not only 81% support, but also 75% among Republicans. While Rep. Underheim, a Republican, sponsored a bill six years ago, this session, not one Republican has yet announced support for the JRMMA. This can only mean that 75% of Wisconsin’s Republican lawmakers are at odds with the views of the people they claim to represent. Please contact your legislators and make sure they know that their support on the JRMMA means your support this fall. To find out who represents you visit Who Are My Legislators? http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx or call the Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-362-9472 (M-F 8:15a-4:45p).
Posted by Gary at January 27, 2010 11:55 PM
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