July 02, 2008
Ex-Marquette County deputy accused of drug evidence thefts
Posted by Gary Storck
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Portage Daily Register has this article about a former Marquette County Wisconsin cop facing a second set of charges relating to allegations of drug thefts from the department evidence locker.
Former deputy accused of stealing drugs headed to trial
Source: Portage Daily Register click here
By Shannon Green
MONTELLO — A former Marquette County sheriff's deputy accused of stealing drugs from an evidence storage room is headed to trial on a second set of charges.Marquette County Circuit Court Judge Richard O. Wright ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence to continue a second case against Daniel P. Card, 31.
The state attorney general's office in May filed new charges against Card based on evidence that he took drugs, including narcotics, cocaine and marijuana, on April 29, 2007, from the evidence room at the sheriff's department, according to a criminal complaint. The charges are similar to those filed previously against him, stemming from alleged incidents in May 2007.
Jeff Gabrisiak and Dennis Krueger, assistant attorneys general with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, are special prosecutors in both cases, because Card worked for the sheriff's department.
Card faces charges of felony burglary and possession of narcotic drugs; and misdemeanor possession of cocaine, theft, and entry into a locked room.
In March, a deputy discovered in the department's records room an empty prescription bottle, stored as evidence for a 2006 case. That led to an investigation into other items missing from the department's evidence room, according to the criminal complaint.
During the investigation, deputies discovered a second empty prescription bottle, three empty evidence bags and a dated receipt from April 29, 2007, in the back of a filing cabinet containing records from 1995, the complaint stated.
The bottle and bags were labeled as evidence in cases from 1996, 1997 and 2006, and contained narcotic pills, cocaine and marijuana, according to the complaint. The receipt was from an April 29, 2007, purchase from the Montello Mart with a debit card later identified as Card's.
Card pleaded not guilty in April to charges filed in December: two counts of felony burglary, one count of misdemeanor theft, felony possession of narcotic drugs without a prescription and misdemeanor possession of cocaine or crack cocaine.
The criminal complaint in that case alleges Card removed 59 tablets of oxycodone and a small amount of crack cocaine, on or before May 12, 2007, that was held as evidence in the storage room at the Marquette County Sheriff's Department. The complaint also alleges that one week later Card again entered the storage room with the intent to steal drugs.
Two witnesses for the prosecution testifed Tuesday, including Chief Deputy Joe Konrath. Konrath was the investigator in each of the original cases from which Card allegedly stole drugs.
Konrath testified that he tested the drugs as part of the initial investigations in previous years. On cross-examination, he testified that he was directly linked with all of the initial cases from which the drug evidence was taken.
Konrath also testified that only three people other than himself are authorized to enter the locked evidence room: the sheriff and two investigators. However, he said, 12 people had keys in early 2007. Card did not have a key, Konrath testified.
Card resigned from the department June 1, 2007, after beginning work with the department as a correctional officer in the jail in November 2005.
An arraignment on the second case is scheduled for July 23.
Dean Strang of Madison, Card's defense attorney, said he expects Card to plea not guilty to the second set of charges.
The trial for the charges filed in December is Sept. 9-10, but the dates could change, as the two sets of charges will likely be tried together. That trial could take three days.
If he is found guilty of the new charges, Card faces up to 11 and a half years in prison and $60,000 in fines, in addition to a maximum of 31 years in prison and fines of up to $80,000 for the charges filed in December.
Posted by Gary at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)
June 30, 2008
Letter in WI State Journal: Why reluctance to research cannabis?
Posted by Gary Storck
Monday, June 30, 2008
As a heart patient, I know that cannabis can be very beneficial for many heart patients. The following letter expounds on that awareness.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal click here
Pubdate: 30 June 2008
WHY RELUCTANCE TO RESEARCH CANNABIS?"Heart troubles," the State Journal's Wednesday piece on Tim Russert's abrupt passing despite treatment with the best Western medicine could offer, points out a need for more alternatives.
In a 2004 study published in the journal Nature, "Low dose oral cannabinoid therapy reduces progression of atherosclerosis in mice," click here, Swiss scientists observed that cannabinoids, chemical compounds found in marijuana, protect against heart disease by blocking the blood vessel inflammation that causes plaque to form.
The cannabinoid used was delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), already approved by the FDA as a schedule 3 drug. Although approved to stimulate appetite in cancer and AIDS patients, doctors hypothetically could prescribe it "off-label," meaning this treatment is available today nationwide.
But since the media tends to overlook studies showing medical benefits from cannabis, few are aware that cannabis or its constituent cannabinoids may be a lifesaving alternative.
Why must we look abroad to learn more about the medical uses of cannabis, and how did America get to the point where withholding this potential lifesaver from patients is good public policy?
-- Gary Storck, Madison, director of communications, Is My Medicine Legal Yet?
Posted by Gary at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2008
GM Today reports search warrant in Waukesha pot store case stated Salvia was illegal in Wisconsin
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Last session, a bill to ban the herb, salvia divinorum, a member of the mint family, was introduced into the state legislature click here. The bill received a hearing, but died on March 21, according to the state legislature website.
GM Today, an online site for the Waukesha Freeman and other papers, reported today that the man arrested for running a pot store inside a candle store in downtown Waukesha click here, was found with "...salvia divinorum, a substance deemed illegal earlier this year in Wisconsin, the search warrant indicated." One small problem though, the ban did not pass. The state legislature website’s history of the bill, AB 277, concludes with, “03-21-08. A. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1”.
It’s pretty strange to see law enforcement eager to enforce laws that haven’t even been passed. Meanwhile County officials recently stated that if state DUI penalties were increased, it would create the need for at least 3 new courtrooms, additional jail space and other huge expenditures. How much would a salvia ban cost and why the rush to criminalize a substance much less harmful and toxic than alcohol or tobacco?
Source: GM Today click here
Waukesha store owner charged with selling potUndercover cop allegedly made three drug deals at Candles For You
By BRIAN HUBER - GM Today Staff
June 24, 2008
Photo caption: A sign taped to the front door of Candles For You, 744 N. Grand Ave., declares that the store is closed Monday due to a "drugs delivery." A search warrant indicates that marijuana was found in the shop.
WAUKESHA -
A Waukesha store owner has been charged with selling marijuana out of his downtown candle shop.
James Juhay, 46, was ordered held on a $10,000 cash bond Monday after being charged with three counts of delivering marijuana, a count of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it, three counts of felony bail jumping and maintaining a drug place. If convicted, he faces up to 38 years in custody.
According to Waukesha police, a criminal complaint and other court records, Juhay was the target of an undercover investigation after police received tips he was selling pot at his Candles For You store, 744 N. Grand Ave. On June 5, an undercover officer went into the store, where Juhay told him, "I got bud for sale," an affidavit said.
The officer bought $20 worth of pot that day, and returned June 11 and June 17 for more transactions, worth $20 and $25, the affidavit said.
Police searched the store Thursday and found more than one pound of marijuana in a safe and other locations, as well as plastic bags with drug residue, drug paraphernalia, suspected hashish - though it did not test positive for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient of marijuana - and salvia divinorum, a substance deemed illegal earlier this year in Wisconsin, the search warrant indicated. It added police found what was believed - but not proven to be - ecstasy residue.
(snip)
Posted by Gary at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)
June 21, 2008
Downtown Waukesha candle store busted for allegedly dispensing cannabis
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, June 21, 2008
As a Waukesha native, I was a bit surprised to read allegations a couple of locals decided to take on marijuana prohibition head on by selling pot out of their downtown storefront, along with candles. Today and when I last lived in Waukesha over 25 years ago, the largest drug dealer downtown was and is a large liquor/tobacco store in a former Sears department store building. The store hums with business all day every day. Dozens of smoky downtown bars round things out by keeping the suds and drinks flowing.
A pot store in Waukesha seems like a welcome change of scene. But, the real drug dealers, the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical lobbies, continue to make sure that it will likely be a long time before a cannabis store in Waukesha is anything more than a pipe dream.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel click here
Published June 21, 2008
Author: Darryl Enriquez
AFTER DRUG TIP, POLICE RAID WAUKESHA STORECandle shop owner taken into custody
Waukesha - Another downtown store owner stands accused by police of conducting illicit activity through his business.
Police are seeking three counts of delivery of marijuana against the 46-year-old owner of a downtown candle shop. The merchant, James A. Juhay, who was named in a search warrant returned Friday to Waukesha County Circuit Court, likely will remain in jail over the weekend, and the case will be referred to the district attorney Monday, police Capt. Mark Stigler said.
Police say undercover officers purchased marijuana at the store, Candles for You, 744 N. Grand Ave., prompting them to execute a search warrant there late Thursday.
Police had received a tip that more drugs than candles were being sold there, and that the owner was sleeping in a closet there, Stigler said.
Police found over a pound of marijuana in the store during the raid, during which a 45-year-old man came up from the basement with 10 bags of marijuana and a scale on him, Stigler said.
That man, identified in a court record as Michael Freed, is facing a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver. The store owner is facing charges for felony bail jumping. Juhay had been free on bail in connection with charges filed in May of battery and possession of marijuana, Stigler said.
Victoria Hekkers, president of the Business Improvement District, praised the police action, saying it was quick and decisive.
(snip)
Posted by Gary at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2008
Dutch to exempt cannabis coffee shops from workplace smoking ban: A template for post-prohibition Madison?
Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Dutch authorities acted wisely in exempting cannabis from the nation’s upcoming smoking ban. Science has pretty much debunked any cancer connection from smoking the herb, while establishing cannabis and its cannabinoid constituents are actually potent cancer fighters click here.
Madison has been a cannabis friendly city for decades, and has always seemed like a place where cannabis coffeeshops would not only be a good fit, but also offer a safer alternative to alcohol, click here. But what of the smoking ban? The Dutch solution seems like the rational way to proceed.
Now, if we could only jettison cannabis prohibition and let Madsterdam blossom!
Dutch health minister says marijuana to be exempt from July 1 smoking ban
Source: Forbes.com click here
AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Dutch health minister Ab Klink said visitors to coffee shops will be free to smoke marijuana as long as it is not mixed with tobacco, after a smoking ban affecting all restaurants and bars goes into effect on July 1.The minister was replying to questions tabled by parliamentary colleagues on whether coffee shops will become completely smoke free when the ban goes into effect.
Current tobacco laws in the Netherlands do not cover the smoking of pure marijuana or cannabis in coffee shops, he said.
Coffee shops also will be allowed to set up separate smoking areas for customers who want to smoke marijuana and tobacco, although staff will not be allowed to serve or do other work inside those areas.
Minister Klink said he would look into the ban's effect on coffee shops at the end of 2008 or beginning of 2009, including what percentage of coffee shops have opened a separate smoking area.
Posted by Gary at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2008
2005 study showed low-dose oral THC reduced progression of atherosclerosis in mice: Was journalist Tim Russert another victim of marijuana prohibition?
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
On May 20, NORML’s Paul Armentano posted an article on NORML’s blog, “Is Senator Kennedy A Victim Of Pot Prohibition?” click here.
The article discussed how the federal government suppressed evidence that marijuana could be a vital weapon against gliomas, and how this marijuana-prohibition related suppression could mean and has meant the difference between life and death for brain cancer patients like Sen. Kennedy.
The recent sudden death of NBC television’s Tim Russert from a heart attack at only 58 reminded me of Paul’s post. While news reports indicated Russert was being treated with conventional medications, his abrupt demise suggests they weren’t working. As one who has endured a lifetime of heart problems due to a congenital condition, I’m very aware of the medical value of cannabis for cardiac patients firsthand.
There is science to back it up too. In 2004, a study by a group of Swiss and German researchers, “Low dose oral cannabinoid therapy reduces progression of atherosclerosis in mice,” detailed how cannabinoids protects against heart attack, stroke and other heart disease. It’s interesting that the dosage required to attain the protective effect was less than the amount required for a psychoactive effect. So, cannabinoids could offer a heart medication that not only works, but has few side effects, certainly much fewer than the toxic standard pharmaceuticals commonly used to treat heart disease.
Here’s the study, as published in the Journal Nature, followed by a BBC article about the findings, which like most studies finding benefit from cannabis, did not receive much play in mainstream media.
Letters to Nature click here Nature 434, 782-786 (7 April 2005) | doi:10.1038/nature03389; Received 26 October 2004; Accepted 21 January 2005There is a Corrigendum (26 May 2005) associated with this document.
Low dose oral cannabinoid therapy reduces progression of atherosclerosis in miceSabine Steffens1, Niels R. Veillard1,5, Claire Arnaud1,5, Graziano Pelli1, Fabienne Burger1, Christian Staub3, Andreas Zimmer4, Jean-Louis Frossard2 and François Mach1
1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Foundation for Medical Research, University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
2. Division of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
3. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
4. Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
5. These authors contributed equally to this work
Correspondence to: François Mach1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to F.M. (Email: Francois.Mach@medecine.unige.ch).Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke in Western countries1. Derivatives of cannabinoids such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) modulate immune functions2 and therefore have potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. We investigated the effects of THC in a murine model of established atherosclerosis. Oral administration of THC (1 mg kg-1 per day) resulted in significant inhibition of disease progression. This effective dose is lower than the dose usually associated with psychotropic effects of THC. Furthermore, we detected the CB2 receptor (the main cannabinoid receptor expressed on immune cells2, 3) in both human and mouse atherosclerotic plaques. Lymphoid cells isolated from THC-treated mice showed diminished proliferation capacity and decreased interferon- secretion. Macrophage chemotaxis, which is a crucial step for the development of atherosclerosis1, was also inhibited in vitro by THC. All these effects were completely blocked by a specific CB2 receptor antagonist4. Our data demonstrate that oral treatment with a low dose of THC inhibits atherosclerosis progression in the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse model, through pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects on lymphoid and myeloid cells. Thus, THC or cannabinoids with activity at the CB2 receptor may be valuable targets for treating atherosclerosis.
BBC article on study:
Cannabis chemical 'helps heart' click here
A chemical in cannabis can help ward off strokes and heart disease, scientists believe.
Swiss researchers found THC, one of 60 cannabinoids in the drug, helped stop the narrowing of arteries to the brain and heart in a study of mice.
But the team, from Geneva University Hospital, said smoking cannabis did not produce the same effect.
However UK experts warned more research was needed before firm conclusions could be drawn.
Deaths
Blocked arteries - a condition known as atherosclerosis - are estimated to be responsible for up to 50% stroke and heart disease deaths in developing countries each year.
In the study, published in the Nature journal, mice were fed a high cholesterol diet to make them develop atherosclerosis and then given THC, which causes the high during cannabis use.
The Swiss researchers found THC stopped inflammation of blood vessels, which is largely responsible for blocking arteries.
The chemical worked by suppressing the immune system's response to a protein which is responsible for inflammation.
We certainly hasten to advise against people smoking cannabis to protect their heart health Professor Jeremy Pearson, of the British Heart Foundation
Lead researcher Francois Mach said while drugs such as statins which lower blood pressure and cholesterol had proved extremely effective the findings were still of "great medical interest".
And he added: "The dose [used] is lower than the dose usually associated with psychotropic effects of THC."
Posted by Gary at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2008
New Hinchey amendment vote offers Wisconsin Congressman Steve Kagen a medical marijuana do-over
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, June 14, 2008
In a few weeks, Congress will again be voting on the Hinchey Amendment. The annual vote is on a federal budget amendment that would prohibit the use of federal funds to subvert state medical cannabis laws and target patients and providers in the 12 states where it is now legal.
Last year, while Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison), Ron Kind (D-La Crosse), David Obey (D-Wausau) and Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) all voted for it, their new Democratic colleague Steve Kagen (D-Appleton) did not. Instead, Rep. Kagen followed in the footsteps of his predecessor GOP Rep. Mark Green and joined forces with Wisconsin’s Republican congressional delegation: Reps. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Elm Grove), Tom Petri (R-Fond du Lac) and Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) to help defeat the amendment. To read my July 2007 post about it, “Steve Kagen votes to arrest medical marijuana patients: John Gard would approve” click here.
Kagen’s vote outraged Wisconsinites who support compassionate access to medical cannabis for our state’s sick, disabled and dying. For his constituents, it was as if the man Kagen narrowly beat, ex-Wisconsin Assembly Speaker John Gard, a serial blocker of state medical marijuana legislation, had cast the vote, not the alleged liberal Democrat Kagen.
Soon, we’ll see whether Congressman Kagen will once again vote to use our tax dollars, and I guess, the money we borrow from China and other countries to run our government, to arrest medical marijuana patients and providers in the 12 states where it is now legal. That number will likely become 13 when the votes are counted in Michigan this November. That also means Kagen’s very congressional district will abut portions of a state where medical marijuana will be legal. Can he retain the district by continuing to alienate medical marijuana supporters, a group that includes over 80% of state residents? If he won’t make his tent larger, he may end up having to fold it instead.
Posted by Gary at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2008
WI native Dr. Dave Bearman’s candidacy for Santa Barbara County CA supervisor ends with third place finish in primary
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Rice Lake WI native Dr. David Bearman’s candidacy for Santa Barbara CA county supervisor ended with a loss with a record low turnout in the June 3 primary. Readers may recall Dr. Bearman spent several days back in Wisconsin last November spreading the word about medical cannabis, holding a book signing, lecturing at the UW Medical School click here, and testifying before the State Senate’s Health Committee click here.
Dr. Bearman, well known in Santa Barbara County and expecting a larger voter turnout, received almost 10 percent of the vote, taking third place in a race with four candidates. Bearman ran stronger in Isla Vista and on the UC-Santa Barbara campus, taking second place with about 22.5 percent of the vote in those areas, according to local news sources.
Video of Dr. Bearman’s campaign ad, filmed in a dispensary.
Posted by Gary at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2008
Ask Congressman Ron Kind to support medical marijuana, receive the same vague form letter year after year after year
Posted by Gary Storck
Friday, June 6, 2008
A Wisconsin medical cannabis patient suffering from intractable pain from adhesive arachnoiditis recently sent Congressman Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) an emotional letter asking that he cosponsor current medical marijuana legislation in Congress, HR 5842 click here.
While Kind has joined fellow WI Democratic Reps. Tammy Baldwin, David Obey and Gwen Moore in voting for the Hinchey Amendment, which would defund federal raids on medical cannabis patients and providers in states where it is legal, he has never cosponsored federal medical cannabis legislation despite repeated requests. Kind’s never-changing written response cites his past experience as a prosecutor and the need to satisfy law enforcement concerns, while ignoring his own votes defunding law enforcement while refusing to cosponsor a bill that would instead change federal law. Kind’s response not only blew off his constituent’s plea, but the wording also seemed a bit too familiar. Soon, I had fished out a nearly 5-year-old letter I’d received from Congressman Kind that was mostly word for word the same as the letter his constituent received just recently.
I told my friend, then he found his own 5-year old letter from Kind with mostly identical wording as the one from 2008.
2008 Letter: Of the 365 words in the body of the letter, three paragraphs containing 197 words were identical to a section from Kind’s 2003 letters (repeated section in bold text below).
Dear redacted:Thank you for contacting me about the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you.
While I appreciate the points you make regarding legalization, I do not believe that marijuana should be legalized. As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the detrimental effects of marijuana use and how it often escalates to the use of more serious drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Studies show that the harmful effects of long-term marijuana use are many and varied. Effects include lung and asthma problems, loss of ability to set long-term goals, and a propensity to graduate to other, more powerful drugs.
The use of marijuana for medical purposes is a contentious issue filled with conflicting scientific evidence, and I remain willing to listen to both sides of the debate. I understand that marijuana was once popularly recommended for various illnesses, although in recent years its medical use has declined. This decline is due to the increased availability of alternative medicines and the federal government's increasing role in curbing international drug importation and fighting domestic substance abuse.
I have heard from several medical professionals and citizens that, in a controlled environment, the benefits of the drug outweigh the possible risks to the patient. They present evidence that marijuana's chemical properties increase the quality of comfort and care afforded to patients suffering from illnesses such as cancer and AIDS.
Data from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, however, raises legitimate concerns as well. While illegal substance use has declined since the 1970s, marijuana has remained the most common drug among illicit users. If marijuana is to become a legal form of medication, further research and consideration must be given to both sides of the issue and a consensus must be reached between the health care and law enforcement professions. Please be assured that should legislation regarding this issue be introduced, I will keep your views in mind.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Should you have further questions or comments, I hope you will not hesitate to be in touch with my office. Also, I encourage you to visit my website, www.house.gov/kind, where you kind find updated information, send me e-mail, and signup for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Ron Kind Member of Congress
(snip)
Kind’s failure to update a medical marijuana position that seems right out of 1997 or worse to begin with, is mystifying. Another of Kind’s constituents is Jacki Rickert, whom Kind has excelled at ignoring and breaking appointments with at his DC offices. Jacki, myself and Jim Miller had a meeting with a Kind staffer in 2004 that ended up with the staffer crying in empathy with Jacki’s plight, and then first Jim, then myself and Jacki walking out. In 2004, we found it easier to talk to Congressman Kind at a Madison fundraiser than his Washington DC offices.
When is Kind going to wake up and really stand behind patients and their loved ones who need medical cannabis, or at the very least, devise some new wording for his medical marijuana form letter gone so stale it’s downright moldy?
Urge Your Representative to Support the federal medical cannabis bill H.R. 5842! click here. If that happens to be Congressman Ron Kind, while you've probably already seen his response above, please try anyway.
Posted by Gary at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2008
A letter from 29 years ago today
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Two year ago. click here, I wrote post titled, “A letter from 27 years ago today”. Having just endured another long afternoon at the eye doctor, it seems good to take a look back.
As I noted then, since 1979, June 4 has been a day of personal significance for me. My then-ophthalmologist wrote me a letter dated June 4, 1979, that stated, "I am familiar that reports that marijuana lowers intraocular pressure in many people who have glaucoma. If marijuana were available for me to prescribe to this patient, I would be willing to do so, in the hope it would adequately control his condition with fewer side effects than the medications currently available."
The letter was meaningful to me in that it represented the first time a doctor had recognized, in writing, that cannabis would benefit me and that it should be available like any other medication. Seven years earlier, October 3, 1972, I had stumbled upon pot as a treatment for the congenital glaucoma that had steadily stolen my sight all through childhood. I had smoked some pot with friends after school and headed off to see my then-eye doctor. He found my normally highly elevated intraocular pressures normal. Since that day I have continued to medicate with cannabis every day I could obtain it, through the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's and today much of the way through the 00's.
So, once again with feeling, If America truly is the land of liberty and justice for all, the Berlin wall of cannabis prohibition must fall, like the lies and myths that have been perpetrated in the name of keeping this gentle herb from patients in need. The sky is blue not green, and its time to stop the lies and the war and let the healing begin.
Posted by Gary at 09:33 AM | Comments (0)
May 31, 2008
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column: Response to pot issue isn't what you think
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, May 31, 2008
From the May 28, 2008 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel comes this response from columnist Jim Stingl to the response to his recent column on cannabis click here.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 28, 2008 click here.
Response to pot issue isn't what you think
Jim Stingl
You might think I'd get hammered for writing a column calling for legalization of marijuana. The opposite is true.
"Amen, brotha," wrote Joe, one of nearly 100 readers who responded to Friday's article. Four out of five agreed with me, and I'm sure they're not all raving potheads.
"I am not a user of marijuana. I am, however, tired of seeing huge amounts of funds used for chasing the demons dreamed up by our leaders, both local and nationally," said Bill.
Wrote another: "I am a white suburban 44-year-old wife, mother and professional woman. I completely agree with everything you said regarding the legalization, decriminalization and taxation of marijuana . . . I also do not think it is a 'gateway' drug for adults who use it responsibly for pain relief, chronic anxiety conditions, or just to relax after a stressful day."
The column followed police raids last week that netted 2,000 pot plants and five arrests. Oak Creek Police Chief Tom Bauer said it was an "interesting read," but he didn't like my assertion that his department and others turned the bust into a media show.
"If you lived in a neighborhood like that, wouldn't you want to know and see what's going on in your neighborhood? It's called crime prevention," he said.
A 77-year-old retired teacher seemed awfully worried about me.
"I hate to say it. I hope you were not, and are not, a drug addict yourself. But it seems like you might be," he told my voicemail.
I'm a chocolate junkie. That's it.
Another reader said he wants pot use "persecuted" to the fullest extent of the law. Then he called me a "dumb (expletive) piece of (expletive)" for thinking otherwise.
"Do you want your heavy equipment operator high? How about your electrician? Doctor? Dentist?" one reader asked. Of course not, at least not while they're functioning as my heavy equipment operator, electrician, doctor or dentist. They could just as easily be impaired right now on a legal substance.
Two probation agents and a prison worker came down on my side of the argument, saying marijuana offenders are a waste of their time and cell space.
Numerous readers like the idea of taxing legal marijuana and using the money to treat drug addiction, but one predicted users would grow their own to avoid the cost and the taxes.
I heard from a few weed smokers, including a 21-year-old woman who wrote: "Sure, pot is harmful to your (or my) body and you do lose brain cells, but isn't alcohol just as bad or even worse? And yet alcohol is EVERYWHERE! Apparently even at Chuck E. Cheese. Not once have I ever seen someone get into a random fight while high."
"If alcohol and tobacco are legal, why should marijuana be illegal?" said William.
"I feel sorry for these people who were arrested. They will be treated the same as if they were involved with heroin or a cocaine ring," Tom said.
"The 'war on drugs' is a multi-billion-dollar sham, and the pursuit of marijuana is the most absurd part of it," Terese wrote.
"I see no reason," said an older-sounding woman who left a message, "why the government is telling you what you can or cannot smoke."
"This is a vast and crazy world we live in; recreational marijuana use should be the very least of America's concerns," Colin wrote. "I know you'll probably catch a lot of flak for this article from soccer moms."
Surprisingly little.
Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or e-mail at jstingl@journalsentinel.com
Posted by Gary at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)
May 29, 2008
Hemp farming in Wisconsin explored in Wausau Farm Bill Column
Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Jim Maas of Rothschild, a member of the executive committee of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, had a column about the federal farm bill that included support for hemp farming in Wisconsin published in the Wausau Daily Herald.
COLUMN: Farm bill hurts farmers, us
Source: Wausau Daily Herald
Read Original article: click here
(snip)We need to get the feds out of the pork business and let American farmers farm — no promises, no interference. One crop might be industrial hemp. Wisconsin was the leading industrial hemp producer in the country during the first half of the 20th century — and then the government decided hemp looks too much like marijuana.
The first American flags were made of hemp; both Washington and Jefferson raised hemp; Ben Franklin printed publications on hemp paper; American ships were caulked and rigged with hemp; and hemp played an important role in both world wars.
Hemp has thousands of uses. Besides fibers for paper and textiles, it can be used for biodegradable plastics, health food and fuel. Hemp requires little to no pesticides, replenishes soil with nutrients and nitrogen, controls erosion of the topsoil and produces a lot of oxygen. The downside? Our government prohibits its use.
(snip)
Posted by Gary at 09:48 PM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2008
Wisconsin roots in Bob Barr’s conversion to Libertarian party presidential nominee
Posted by Gary Storck
Monday, May 26, 2008
On Sunday, former congressman Bob Barr (R-GA) received the Libertarian Party presidential nomination at their convention in Denver. But how did a right-wing ideologue like Barr, who championed the USA PATRIOT Act, authored and sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act, and blocked the counting of votes in a Washington DC medical marijuana initiative end up being the nominee of a party that embraces freedom and is named after liberty?
Well, I’d say it all began back on Thursday, October 21, 1999, when I joined my friends Jim and Cheryl Miller and fellow Wisconsin medical cannabis activist Jacki Rickert (The Medical Marijuana Commando Squad) for a protest at Barr’s Capitol Hill office. Cheryl Miller was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1971 and by 1999 had become completely paralyzed from the neck down.
The “Commando Squad” at Barr’s Capitol Hill office on Thursday, October 21, 1999.
It began when Jim placed Cheryl on a mattress in Barr’s office doorway, with Jacki on the right in her wheelchair and me on the left, and explained our mission while performing a “spasticity demonstration” on Cheryl’s afflicted limbs. Later, after supporters inside Barr’s office began chanting, “Bob Barr has gone too far,” Capitol Police broke up the demonstration, arresting Jim and placing Cheryl back in her wheelchair, sans padding.
Here's the video of the action at Barr's: .
Group shot outside Barr's office in 2001 that led to 30 minute detainment by Capitol Police at Barr's orders.
Returning to Barr’s office in April 2001 to pose for a group shot outside, our little commando squad was then detained and questioned for a half hour by Capitol Police as we were exiting the building, on Barr’s orders.
In July 2002, I was back in Washington for a Capitol Hill press conference for NORML click here with Jim and Cheryl Miller and Reps. Barney Frank, Ron Paul and others announcing the introduction of Frank’s States Rights to Medical Marijuana Act. Later, the late Libertarian filmmaker and activist Ron Crickenberger shot footage of Cheryl and me for use in LP tv commercials highlighting medical marijuana patients, including one used in Ed Thompson’s 2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign.
Crickenberger also filmed Cheryl for a commercial targeting Bob Barr, who had been redistricted into a primary against another Republican incumbent. Run on behalf of the Libertarian candidate, the devastating commercial, voice over stating Bob Barr wants to jail patients like Cheryl with her asking, “Why would you do that me, Bob?,” aired thousands of times. Although polling gave him an 18-point lead going into the election, when the dust cleared, Barr was defeated. The powerful words of the seriously ill Cheryl had clearly struck a nerve with voters, and Barr’s congressional career had come to a sudden end.
Watch Cheryl's commercial here: .
It seems Barr’s awakening and transition from tyrant to civil libertarian had a lot to do with this extraordinary woman who, despite near total immobilization from multiple sclerosis, had the courage to go to Capitol Hill and stick up for medical cannabis patients like herself. Cheryl died on June 7, 2003 from complications of MS. A memorial, including a candlelight vigil at the US Supreme Court, was held for her in September 2003. Cheryl would have been 62 on May 21, 2008.
Barr himself acknowledged the power of Cheryl when he met Jim Miller at a talk in New York last year. His conversion shows that even the most hardened opponent of medical cannabis is capable of seeing the light. May that light shine into the cold hearts of the many elected officials still working against we the people to keep this medicine from patients who need it today.
Posted by Gary at 09:55 AM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2008
Letter in Capital Times: Good time to end reefer madness
Posted by Gary Storck
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Madison's Capital Times published my letter about cannabis decriminalization today!
Source: Capital Times click here
Pubdate: May 24, 2008
Author: Gary Storck
GOOD TIME TO END REEFER MADNESSDear Editor: Several weeks ago the Cap Times editorialized in support of cannabis (marijuana) decriminalization and cited federal legislation, HR 5843, that was introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. You also noted you hoped that Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, would become a co-sponsor.
On May 20, Rep. Baldwin was officially listed as the bill's third co-sponsor. Let's hope Tammy's courage to lead on this issue inspires her colleagues to join her in signing on. Baldwin also co-sponsored HR 5842, which would protect medical cannabis patients acting legally under state laws. Tammy has been a reliable supporter throughout her career of medical cannabis patients and families.
While protecting patients has a fair amount of support, there is a growing consensus in Congress that removing criminal penalties for responsible personal cannabis use also makes sense. In addition to the Frank bill in the House, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., expressed support for cannabis decriminalization while running for the Democratic presidential nomination this year. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., has written in his new book, "A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America," that "the time has come to stop locking up people for mere possession and use of marijuana."
Today, more than ever, cannabis decriminalization makes perfect sense. It's time to put reefer madness behind us and reap the myriad benefits the cannabis plant offers society.
Gary Storck
Madison
Posted by Gary at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2008
Journal-Sentinel columnist urges cannabis legaliztion
Posted by Gary Storck
Friday, May 23, 2008
What a nice surprise to find a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist, Jim Stingl, acknowledging the drug war has failed and urging the legalization of cannabis! Read on!
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel click here
Pubdate: May 23, 2008
Author: Jim Stingl
DRUG POLICY CHASES WEEDS, MISSES NEEDSI remember exactly where I was when I heard the space shuttle Challenger had exploded.
Notebook in hand, I was watching the police toss bales of seized marijuana into a power plant furnace in Green Bay where I was a reporter at the time. It was quite the media event.
The aroma was pungent and the message was clear: Watch out druggies. This is war.
That was 22 years ago, and I have little doubt that dope smoking in Titletown and everywhere else goes along as usual. It was all for show.
Same with the big pot bust this week in Oak Creek, Franklin and Sturtevant. Five people were arrested, and more than 2,000 plants were discovered in four homes that had been turned into the horticultural equivalent of the Mitchell Park Domes.
Someday the police will seize marijuana plants without feeling the need to stage a show-and-tell where TV cameras can linger over the lush greenery. I understand why they always call in the media. It was, in the words of one police official, a once-in-a-career bust.
But do you feel safer now? Is the problem of drug abuse in America any closer to being solved? Is this sweep anything but the tiniest dent in the availability of marijuana for people who want it?
I'm not blaming police. They're on the front lines of an endless and expensive drug war, carrying out what they think America wants.
But do we? I'd like to see prison space used instead for the repeat drunken drivers whom we're reluctant to charge as felons because there's no room to lock them up. They're a real menace.
Show me some news video of a roomful of drunk drivers connected together in leg irons. That's a lot scarier than these weeds that make people giggle and crave junk food.
Come to think of it, we should just legalize marijuana for adults and stop wasting so much time, energy and billions of dollars protecting people from themselves while locking up otherwise law-abiding citizens. Keep the harder stuff illegal, but regulate and tax legal weed. Pretty radical suggestion, I know, especially when you see how difficult it is to get even medical marijuana approved.
Alcohol is much more dangerous and deadly and ruinous to families, and it flows legally just about everywhere you go. Marijuana rarely kills anyone, except when users unwisely and illegally drive high, but its evil is assumed to be self-evident. Maybe it's that exotic j in the middle of the word.
Think of the money we'd save by not conducting three-month multi-jurisdictional investigations like this one that result in a few arrests and a bonfire. Then we could afford to offer more treatment to people who abuse drugs and need help more than punishment.
We've taken small steps in this direction. First-time possession of marijuana is treated as an ordinance violation rather than a crime in Milwaukee and other places. But then it's hammer time. Subsequent arrests, even for possession, can turn into a felony and incarceration.
The drug war is especially brutal, a recent study of Wisconsin found, if your skin happens to be anything but white. The criminal justice system winds up having a more detrimental effect on a person than the drug ever would.
If we did this, I doubt the streets suddenly would be full of people who lose their train of thought in the middle of a sentence and just want to listen to Bob Marley. Life is best with a clear head.
Police could stop being gardeners and concentrate more on crimes that really matter.
Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or e-mail at jstingl@journalsentinel.com
Posted by Gary at 12:30 AM | Comments (0)
May 22, 2008
Marijuana decriminalized in City of Milwaukee 11 years ago today
Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, May 22, 2008
DRCNET’s Drug War Chronicle: This Week in History reminds us that it has been 11 years since the City of Milwaukee very belatedly decriminalized minor cannabis possession cases. For years, the surrounding suburbs had mostly started citing people for minor possession while Milwaukee continued to arrest and jail people for a few grams or less. Finally, in 1997, Milwaukee began decriminalization.
May 22, 1997: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mayor John Norquist signs a measure into law decriminalizing first time possession of small amounts of marijuana after the proposal squeaks by the city council. -- Drug War Chronicle click here
NORML: Milwaukee Moves To Decriminalize Marijuana click here
May 22, 1997 - Milwaukee, WI, USA
Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist signed a measure into law decriminalizing the first time possession of small amounts of marijuana after the proposal squeaked by the city council.The legislation, which passed on May 13, allows prosecutors to charge 25 grams or less of marijuana as a municipal ordinance violation rather than a crime. Fines will range from $250 to $500 or imprisonment of up to 20 days. Offenders would also have the option of performing community service or receiving substance abuse education.
Under state law, any first offense possession is a criminal charge punishable by a $1,000 minimum fine and up to six months in jail. Prosecutors in Milwaukee still have the option to bring more serious charges under state law.
Alderman Michael Murphy, who sponsored the measure, said that this bill may not be "politically popular," but was about "fundamental fairness." Murphy noted that most suburban towns surrounding Milwaukee punish first time marijuana offenders with municipal tickets, not criminal sanctions. "Nobody wants to be soft on crime, but we want uniformity in prosecution of these cases."
An aide to the mayor called the ordinance "fair to the citizens of Milwaukee."
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.
The following is taken from the May 14, 1997 edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Milwaukee aldermen cite fairness in easing marijuana punishmentNorquist OKs making pot possession a municipal matter, as it is in suburbs
By Mike Nichols of the Journal Sentinel staff
May 14, 1997
At a time when politicians of all stripes preach punishment and take a hard line against drug offenders, the Common Council voted 9-8 Tuesday essentially to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
Mayor John Norquist immediately signed the legislation into law, and a spokesman for him called it "reasonable."
"It is fair to the citizens of Milwaukee," said Norquist aide Jeff Fleming, "and with the penalty provisions in the ordinance, this new law maintains firm consequences for anyone convicted of marijuana possession."
Council members were split as to whether the move was a foolish retreat from the war on drugs or a gutsy stand against excessive penalties.
Proponents of decriminalization argue that, like it or not, many people in society have used marijuana and gone on to successful and productive lives.
Until now, that's been easier in the suburbs, where first-time offenders -- often wealthier, white youths -- are usually given municipal tickets and a second chance. In Milwaukee, offenders who often are African-American have been subject to criminal penalties and records that can bear a lifelong stain.
Ald. Michael Murphy, sponsor of the decriminalization, said his position "is not politically popular, but quite honestly it is an issue of fundamental fairness."
Opponents countered that decriminalization is not an issue of color, but of right and wrong. They worry about the message being sent to children, but also cite more tangible concerns such as the use of marijuana as a gateway drug and the effects on healthy bodies of what some argue is increasingly potent pot.
Ald. James Witkowiak said he is not opposed to giving someone a break for a first offense, but he questioned whether those who are labeled first-time offenders are really novices. Most start using marijuana, he suggested, long before they are caught by police.
"If anything," he said, "we should lobby the suburbs to change their laws to match ours."
The ordinance passed Tuesday allows prosecutors to charge 25 grams or less of marijuana as a municipal ordinance violation rather than a crime. Fines will range from $250 to $500 or imprisonment of up to 20 days. Offenders would also have the option of performing community service or getting substance abuse education.
Prosecutors still could bring more serious charges under state law, so technically Murphy's proposal is not outright decriminalization. District Attorney E. Michael McCann supports the ordinance, however, and has indicated he would prefer that charges be brought in municipal court. McCann was a key topic of discussion Tuesday.
Aldermen said they were unable to get clear statistics regarding prosecutions, but Ald. Thomas Nardelli suggested McCann might be "dumping" some of his workload on the municipal courts. Ald. Daniel Schramm said he thought aldermen were being "snookered" by the district attorney's office.
Ald. Fred Gordon took exception to the remarks, defended McCann and said the issue is one of fairness and equality. McCann could not be reached Tuesday evening, but he has said he supports the ordinance because of inequities between how similar cases are handled in the suburbs and the city. His office also has denied that the issue has anything to do with workload.
Tuesday was not the first time the Common Council has voted in favor of decriminalization. In 1985, aldermen did the same thing, but Mayor Henry Maier vetoed it.
Posted by Gary at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2008
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to cosponsor federal medical cannabis and cannabis decriminalization bills HR 5842 & HR 5843
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Good news today from Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin’s office! Tammy will be cosponsoring both federal cannabis bills introduced in the House this session: HR 5842, A BILL To provide for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States click here, and HR 5843, A Bill To eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use, and for other purposes click here.
Big thanks to Rep. Baldwin for continuing to support medical cannabis patients as well as ending the criminalization of responsible adult cannabis consumers. Once again she has shown the courage to lead on these issues.
The question remains whether other members of the Wisconsin congressional delegation will join with Rep. Baldwin. While Democratic colleagues David Obey, Ron Kind and Gwen Moore voted for the Hinchey Amendment, which would have prohibited the use of federal funds to target medical marijuana in states where it is legal, none has yet cosponsored medical cannabis legislation. Certainly no one expects any of the three Republicans; Reps. F. James Sensenbrenner, Paul Ryan and Tom Petri, to join with fellow Republicans like Ron Paul or Dana Rohrabacher in cosponsoring these bills.
The remaining WI Democrat, Rep. Steve Kagen, as readers may remember, insulted his constituents last summer by joining with most congressional Republicans in voting against the Hinchey Amendment, “Steve Kagen votes to arrest medical marijuana patients: John Gard would approve” click here. Now, with John Gard again his opponent this fall in a tight race he barely won last time, Kagen needs to find a way to lure back voters he alienated by voting against medical marijuana patients. Cosponsoring these two bills might help Kagen regain the trust and support of voters he lost with his Hinchey betrayal, in a race where he will need every vote.
Our thoughts also go out to Sen. Ted Kennedy today click here. Kennedy sponsored federal marijuana decriminalization 30 years ago in the US Senate, only to see it turned back by Sen. Orrin Hatch and others click here. There is some hope today. Beside the Frank bill in the House, Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) expressed support for cannabis decriminalization while running for the Democratic presidential nomination this year. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) has written in his new book, A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America, that, "The time has come to stop locking up people for mere possession and use of marijuana." click here.
So, if you are a constituent of Tammy Baldwin, please thank her for cosponsoring HR 5842 and HR 5843. For extra credit, call Senators Feingold and Kohl and request that they consider sponsoring Senate versions of these bills. And for you outside Tammy’s district, please call and write your reps and ask them to join Tammy Baldwin in cosponsoring this legislation.
Posted by Gary at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2008
Industrial hemp resolution derided at WI state GOP convention in Stevens Point
Posted by Gary Storck
Monday, May 19, 2008
In the Wisconsin Legislature's 2007-2008 session, Rep. Gene Hahn (R-Cambria) introduced AB 146, which would have created a state commission to look into hemp farming in WI, hemp farming being already legal under state law. I attended the hearing on April 18, 2007, where the bill was lauded by GOP committee members who ultimately joined the GOP committee chair and Democratic members in unanimously passing the bill out of committee. Still, GOP Speaker Mike Huebsch did not allow a floor vote for AB 146, despite wide support from his caucus and the public, particulary the agricultural community.
According to a post on a website called Nolan Chart, The Insurgent columnist: Hoopydoo, click here, at last weekend's GOP state convention in Stevens Point, a resolution supporting industrial hemp was not only voted down but derided by the state chair and others with the usual jokes about smoking pot. Add this to the Republican National Committee's outburst against Barack Obama's positive statements on medical cannabis click here, and you can see why the GOP is not winning over many new members these days. It is only the Ron Pauls and sometimes the Gene Hahns of the party that are showing any common sense.
Source: Nolan Chartclick here
(snip)
When Vernon Delegate Adam Bachman offered an industrial hemp amendment to the "Climate Change and Environment" resolution, the callow Priebus mocked, "I'm sorry, I thought you said industrial hemp?" prompting the typical childish snickering that was the standard reaction to radical' ideas that aren't Party Approved'.
Nonetheless, Bachman courageously went on to make a powerfully coherent and reasoned case for it's exploration as alternative fuel and clothing source, citing it's durability as a fabric, and noting Wisconsin's role as a key producer of hemp during World War II.
But ignorance won the day, as whisperings of "marijuana" and "smoking dope" suffused the majority. In the minds of the party hacks, Bachman was proposing the legalization of pot.
(snip)
Posted by Gary at 01:20 PM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2008
Bill Clinton claims not to remember 1992 campaign encounter with Jacki Rickert
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Last February Ben Masel and I picketed an appearance by former president Bill Clinton at the University of Wisconsin Stock Pavilion click here. We were there to remind Mr. Clinton, who was there to campaign for his wife Hillary, of a 15 and half year old promise he made to our friend Jacki Rickert during a campaign appearance in Osseo WI in 1992, shortly before the election. Today is Jacki’s birthday, so I thought it would be a good day to share this update.
16 years later, Bill Clinton finally gets asked, “Where’s Jacki’s Medicine?”Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, February 14, 2008I was on the phone with Jacki right after it happened. Ben Masel and I had been standing across the street from the Stock Pavilion on the University of Wisconsin campus, waiting in the cold for the arrival of former president Bill Clinton. We were there today, holding signs that read, “Where’s Jacki’s Medicine?,” attempting to remind Mr. Clinton that as a candidate for president in 1992, he had met with Jacki Rickert at a campaign stop in Osseo, WI, and promised her he would make right the bureaucratic nightmare that had been holding up the delivery of the federal medical marijuana supplies that her doctor had gained approval for her to use.
Finally, there was a burst of activity as numerous cars pulled up. Ben noticed Bill Clinton exiting from a vehicle just inside a garage door across the street from our position. We waved our signs and shouted, “Where’s Jacki’s Medicine?” He was across the street maybe 40 yards tops and as Ben noted, “made eye contact.” He could then be seen talking to state Democratic Party chair Joe Wineke, who Ben had explained the Jacki Rickert story to when we came across him on Sept. 18, 2007, as the “Quest for Justice” last mile wheelchair march up State St. reached the Capitol for a press conference announcing the introduction of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act (AB 550). Click here to read entire post.
Ben ran into Joe Wineke not too long ago and posted this report on Daily Kos: Click here.
WI Dem Chair Joe Wineke, who was escorting Bill, recently told me Bill had asked the meaning of the sign. Joe, who'd met Jacki at the ceremony marking the introduction of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act in the State Legislature click here, recounted the 1992 encounter for him. Bill denied remembering his 1992 meeting.
Ben's post was followed by this post:
Interesting considering that Clinton is said to remember every meeting with everybody. When I met him the second time, well into his first term, he certainly remembered the first time he and I met, in 1986, at the home of Stanley Sheinbaum, where Robert Scheer spoke about the end of the Cold War and Bill followed a young woman around like a bloodhound for half an hour. by Meteor Blades on Wed May 07, 2008 at 11:03:09 PM PDT
I guess if I promised a very sick woman I'd see to it that she got her medicine if I were elected president and then failed to do so in my eight years in office, I'd be so ashamed and embarassed that I'd claim not to remember too.
Posted by Gary at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2008
Friday morning cannabis breakfast news!
Posted by Gary Storck
Friday, May 09, 2008
Three items of interest this morning from around the state:
1) Good news for a California truck driver who was acquitted by a La Crosse County jury on charges of transporting a half-ton of cannabis among his tomatoes. Here’s details from WKBT television in La Crosse: “California Man Not Guilty in Pot Trial” click here
2) Bad news for the Ex-Brown Co. WI GOP leader who is facing trial for charges including having sex with an underage boy he gave beer and pot to. Sad tale of the fall of a Republican leader who once worked closely with Mark Green, John Gard and other NE WI GOP notables. PostCrescent.Com: “Ex-Brown Co. GOP leader faces trial on sex charges” click here.
3) Meanwhile, the Capital Times is reporting yet another Wisconsin State Assembly representative will not be seeking reelection this fall, bringing the number to 7 so far. Of that number, 3 are Democrats who have been consistent and reliable sponsors or cosponsors of medical cannabis legislation, (Frank Boyle, Barb Gronemus and Dave Travis). The 4 Republicans are all regarded as moderates, and several have sponsored, cosponsored or supported medical cannabis, hemp or cannabis decriminalization bills. Capital Times: “Rep. Jeskewitz won't run; Assembly retirements now up to 7” click here.
LATE BULLETIN 9:49 am May 9:
Make that 8!
Rep. Sheryl Albers Will Not Run for Re-Election
Veteran Reedsburg Republican Cites Inability to Physically Run
Campaign That She Believes Needs to Be Run click here.
Posted by Gary at 04:20 AM | Comments (0)
May 07, 2008
Wisconsin native's "Try legal Weed" City of Weed CA-produced microbrew slogan draws feds ire
Posted by Gary Storck
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Jim Stingl relates a true tale that illustrates that Marijuana prohibition cuts so deep in our society that federal bureaucrats won't even allow a former Wisconsinite now living in Weed, California to use the humorous slogan, "Try legal Weed" to promote his Weed CA-brewed beer. Read on...
Careful, that bottle cap could confuse you
Original article: click here
By JIM STINGL
Posted: May 6, 2008
Vaune Dillmann grew up in South Milwaukee but long ago went off in search of weed. Make that Weed, as in the city in northern California.In 2004, Dillmann opened the Mt. Shasta Brewing Co. and started producing Weed ales and lagers from mountain spring water. He topped each beer bottle with a cap that reads: "Try legal Weed."
"It's a play on words," he said, and a bit of innocent fun. Same with the brewery T-shirt that says: "100% pure Weed."
The feds, not known for liking fun, recently ordered him to stop using the caps.
"We interpret it as a drug reference," Art Resnick told me. He's the spokesman for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in Washington. "It's misleading as to the possibility of what's in the beverage and possible effects of the beverage."
In that case, there would be a lot of confused people walking around Dillmann's town, which has a population of 3,000 and a fitting altitude of 3,440 feet.
"We have a Weed college here. We have a Weed high. We have a Weed elementary. We have a Weed police. We have a Weed city council, a Weed cemetery. Everything is Weed here," Dillmann said.
He recalls the time he and his wife, Barbara, went along on a school field trip to San Francisco by bus. "On the side it said Weed High. There were so many tourists wanting to take their pictures next to that name on the side of the bus, they wouldn't let us out. What a trip, huh?"
Weed city administrator Earl Wilson has heard all the jokes. For a while there was an exit sign along Interstate 5 that gave travelers a choice that seemed profound: Weed to the right, college to the left. Photo seekers became a traffic hazard, and folks tried to steal the sign.
"People gotta have fun in life," Wilson said.
Now 61, Dillmann moved out to California when he was 20. His family ran a beer and liquor warehouse in Milwaukee. His great-great-grandfather, Peter Victor Deuster, started the newspaper in 1882 that became The Milwaukee Journal, which Dillmann delivered as a kid.
It's ironic that he's in trouble over drugs when he has never tried marijuana or any other illegal substance, he swears. And he's not encouraging anyone else to inhale.
He's a law-abiding civic booster who helped write his city's mission statement to make sure people are high on Weed. But you never know what kind of tourists you're going to get when the freeway signs say, "Weed, next three exits."
The story of Dillmann's fight with the bottle cap narcs has spread worldwide. He said he's received a thousand e-mails, all supporting him. He's been using the "Try legal Weed" caps for four years now on his various brews, and no one is confused that this would have them literally living the high life.
"It says try legal Weed, not illegal weed," Dillmann said. "It's with a capital W. It's the man's surname."
He means Abner Weed, namesake of this city in Mount Shasta's shadow, founder of the first lumber mill and later a senator of the state that would give us the Doobie Brothers.
Dillmann has appealed the alcohol bureau's order, arguing among other things that maybe Budweiser had drugs on its mind, too, when it told us, "This Bud's for you."
Until this all gets hashed out, Weed beer will come with plain bottle caps. When and if Dillmann gets the all-clear signal, 400,000 "Try legal Weed" caps sit waiting in an Oakland warehouse.
"One guy said I'll buy 3,000. Box them up and send them," he said. In terms of free advertising, this government crackdown has been the best thing ever to happen to Dillmann and his beer.
Unfortunately, you can't buy Weed beer in Wisconsin, not even this playfully named brew that could stir up even more refrigerator madness: Shastafarian Porter.
Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or e-mail at jstingl@journalsentinel.com
Posted by Gary at 12:14 AM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2008
Capital Times: Decriminalize marijuana
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Despite their liberal reputation, the Capital Times, like most papers, has never published enough editorials supporting drug policy reform.
Today comes this welcome editorial urging support for Barney Frank's new federal cannabis decriminalization bill. Unfortunately there is no mention of Frank's companion bill, sponsored along with Ron Paul, to legalize medical use. Thanks, Cap Times. Please keep following up on this issue. Let us know if Rep. Tammy Baldwin decides to cosponsor, and if any other state congress critters support this. Make drug pollicy reform an issue!
Decriminalize marijuana
Source: The Capital Times click here
An editorial
May 6, 2008
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has long been a leader in the fight for sane drug policies. So we hope that she will sign on to legislation proposed by Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who has emerged as a key member of the House Democratic leadership team, that would decriminalize marijuana.With backing from Texas Republican Ron Paul, a 2008 presidential candidate, Frank's HR 5843 seeks to eliminate all federal penalties, including arrest, jail time and civil fines, prohibiting the personal use and possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana.
This initiative should not be confused with efforts to remove restrictions on the medicinal use of marijuana, which have met with even more success at the state level.
Decriminalization of marijuana accepts that millions of Americans are going to grow or purchase small amounts of the substance for personal use and makes the determination that this ought not be a concern of the criminal justice system.
"It is poor law enforcement to keep on the books legislation that establishes as a crime something which in fact society does not seriously wish to prosecute," says Frank, who has long been one of the leading civil libertarians in Congress. "Having federal law enforcement agents engaged in the prosecution of people who are personally using marijuana is a waste of scarce resources better used for serious crimes."
The American people are way ahead of their government when it comes to recognizing that the government should not be arresting and jailing people for simple marijuana possession.
Seventy-two percent of Americans surveyed for a Time/CNN poll several years ago said that adults who use marijuana for recreational purposes should be fined but not jailed, while 40 percent favored the legalization of a small amount of pot.
Twelve states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Oregon -- have passed laws decriminalizing marijuana for personal consumption.
Legislators in New Hampshire and Vermont are considering doing so, while voters in Massachusetts will this fall decide by referendum whether they want their state to decriminalization marijuana possession.
Wisconsin should do the same.
And Wisconsin's representatives in Washington should back Barney Frank's bill.
(Learn more about Frank's proposal by visiting the congressman's Web site at www.house.gov/frank/marijuana040208.html.)
Here is how you can support the federal bills:
House of Representatives to Consider Medical Cannabis Legislation! Urge Your Representative to Support H.R. 5842 NOW!
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=11280351
House of Representatives to Consider Cannabis Decriminalization! Tell Your Representative to Support H.R. 5843!
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=11280301
Posted by Gary at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)
May 03, 2008
Fred Gardner: Study: Smoking Pot Doesn't Cause Cancer--It May Prevent It!
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Our good friend, the editor of O'Shaughnessy's, the Journal of the California Cannabis Research Medical Group, Fred Gardner, files this report on Dr. Donald Tashkin's amazing presentation at the April 2008 Fifth National Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics in Pacific Grove CA, on Dr. Tashkin's findings that there is not only no link to lung and upper airway cancers from smoking cannabis, but also that cannabis also appears to offer protection from those cancers for those also smoking tobacco! The conference, presented by Patients Out of Time click here, received absolutely no mainstream press coverage. Fred Gardner was on a panel at the conference that also featured NORML's Paul Armentano discussing how the media ignores or twists study results and generally fails to cover the cannabis issue in a meaningful way.
Pubdate: Sat, 3 May 2008
Source: CounterPunch (US Web)
Copyright: 2008 CounterPunchclick here
Author: Fred Gardner
STUDY: SMOKING POT DOESN'T CAUSE CANCER--IT MAY PREVENT IT!The Greatest Story Never Told
Smoking Cannabis Does Not Cause Cancer Of Lung or Upper Airways, Tashkin Finds; Data Suggest Possible Protective Effect
The story summarized by that headline ran in O'Shaughnessy's (Autumn 2005), CounterPunch, and the Anderson Valley Advertiser. Did we win Pulitzers, dude? No, the story was ignored or buried by the corporate media. It didn't even make the "Project Censored" list of under-reported stories for 2005. "We were even censored by Project Censored," said Tod Mikuriya, who liked his shot of wry.
It's not that the subject is trivial. One in three Americans will be afflicted with cancer, we are told by the government (as if it's our immutable fate and somehow acceptable). Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and lung cancer the leading killer among cancers. You'd think it would have been very big news when UCLA medical school professor Donald Tashkin revealed that components of marijuana smoke -although they damage cells in respiratory tissue- somehow prevent them from becoming malignant. In other words, something in marijuana exerts an anti-cancer effect.
Tashkin has special credibility. He was the lead investigator on studies dating back to the 1970s that identified the components in marijuana smoke that are toxic. It was Tashkin et al who published photomicrographs showing that marijuana smoke damages cells lining the upper airways. It was the Tashkin lab reporting that benzpyrene -a component of tobacco smoke that plays a role in most lung cancers-is especially prevalent in marijuana smoke. It was Tashkin's data documenting that marijuana smokers are more likely than non-smokers to cough, wheeze, and produce sputum.
Tashkin reviewed his findings April 4 at a conference organized by "Patients Out of Time," a reform group devoted to educating doctors and the public (as opposed to lobbying politicians). Some 30 MDs and nurses got continuing medical education credits for attending.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse supported Tashkin's marijuana-related research over the decades and readily gave him a grant to conduct a large, population-based, case-controlled study that would prove definitively that heavy, long-term marijuana use increases the risk of lung and upper-airways cancers. What Tashkin and his colleagues found, however, disproved their hypothesis. (Tashkin is to marijuana as a cause of lung cancer what Hans Blick is to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction -an honest investigator who set out to find something, concluded that it wasn't there, and reported his results.)
Tashkin's team interviewed 1,212 cancer patients from the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance program, matched for age, gender, and neighborhood with 1,040 cancer-free controls. Marijuana use was measured in "joint years" (number of years smoked times number of joints per day). It turned out that increased marijuana use did not result in higher rates of lung and pharyngeal cancer (whereas tobacco smokers were at greater risk the more they smoked). Tobacco smokers who also smoked marijuana were at slightly lower risk of getting lung cancer than tobacco-only smokers.
These findings were not deemed worthy of publication in "NIDA Notes." Tashkin reported them at the 2005 meeting of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and they were published in the October 2006 issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. Without a press release from NIDA calling attention to its significance, the assignment editors of America had no idea that "Marijuana Use and the Risk of Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers: Results of a Population-Based Case-Control Study" by Mia Hashibe1, Hal Morgenstern, Yan Cui, Donald P. Tashkin, Zuo-Feng Zhang, Wendy Cozen, Thomas M. Mack and Sander Greenland was a blockbuster story.
I suggested to Eric Bailey of the L.A. Times that he write up Tashkin's findings -UCLA provided the local angle if the anti-cancer effect wasn't enough. Bailey said his editors wouldn't be interested for some time because he had just filed a marijuana-related piece (about the special rapport Steph Sherer of Americans for Safe Access enjoyed with some old corporado back in Washington, D.C.) The Tashkin scoop is still there for the taking!
Investigators from New Zealand recently got widespread media attention for a study contradicting Tashkin's results. "Heavy cannabis users may be at greater risk of chronic lung disease -including cancer-compared to tobacco smokers," is how BBC News summed up the New Zealanders' findings. The very small size of the study -79 smokers took part, 21 of whom smoked cannabis only-was not held against the authors. As conveyed in the corporate media, the New Zealand study represented the latest word on this important subject (as if science were some kind of tennis match and the truth just gets truthier with every volley).
Tashkin criticized the New Zealanders' methodology in his talk at Asilomar: "There's some cognitive dissonance associated with the interpretation of their findings. I think this has to do with the belief model among the investigators and -I wish they were here to defend themselves-the integrity of the investigators... They actually published another paper in which they mimicked the design that we used for looking at lung function."
Tashkin spoke from the stage of an airy redwood chapel designed by Julia Morgan. He is pink-cheeked, 70ish, wears wire-rimmed spectacles. "For tobacco they found what you'd expect: a higher risk for lung cancer and a clear dose-response relationship. A 24-fold increase in the people who smoked the most... What about marijuana? If they smoked a small or moderate amount there was no increased risk, in fact slightly less than one. But if they were in the upper third of the group, then their risk was six-fold... A rather surprising finding, and one has to be cautious about interpreting the results because of the very small number of cases (14) and controls (4)."
Tashkin said the New Zealanders employed "statistical sleight of hand." He deemed it "completely implausible that smokers of only 365 joints of marijuana have a risk for developing lung cancer similar to that of smokers of 7,000 tobacco cigarettes... Their small sample size led to vastly inflated estimates... They had said 'it's ideal to do the study in New Zealand because we have a much higher prevalence of marijuana smoking.' But 88 percent of their controls had never smoked marijuana, whereas 36% of our controls (in Los Angeles) had never smoked marijuana. Why did so few of the controls smoke marijuana? Something fishy about that!"
Strong words for a UCLA School of Medicine professor!
As to the highly promising implication of his own study -that something in marijuana stops damaged cells from becoming malignant- Tashkin noted that an anti-proliferative effect of THC has been observed in cell-culture systems and animal models of brain, breast, prostate, and lung cancer. THC has been shown to promote known apoptosis (damaged cells die instead of reproducing) and to counter angiogenesis (the process by which blood vessels are formed -a requirement of tumor growth). Other antioxidants in cannabis may also be involved in countering malignancy, said Tashkin.
Much of Tashkin's talk was devoted to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, another condition prevalent among tobacco smokers. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are two forms of COPD, which is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Air pollution and tobacco smoke are known culprits. Inhaled pathogens cause an inflammatory response, resulting in diminished lung function. COPD patients have increasing difficulty clearing the airways as they get older.
Tashkin and colleagues at UCLA conducted a major study in which they measured lung function of various cohorts over eight years and found that tobacco-only smokers had an accelerated rate of decline, but marijuana smokers -even if they smoked tobacco as well-experienced the same rate of decline as non-smokers. "The more tobacco smoked, the greater the rate of decline," said Tashkin. "In contrast, no matter how much marijuana was smoked, the rate of decline was similar to normal." Tashkin concluded that his and other studies "do not support the concept that regular smoking of marijuana leads to COPD."
Hope that makes you breathe easier.
Posted by Gary at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2008
WI native Dr. David Bearman running for Santa Barbara (CA) County Supervisor
Posted by Gary Storck
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
In November 2007, Dr. David Bearman, a California physician who specializes in medical cannabis, returned to his native Wisconsin and the city in which he began his long medical career to testify at an informational hearing on medical cannabis in the State Senate’s Health committee. Dr. Bearman extended his stay for several days to speak at his alma mater, the UW Medical School, click here, as well as speaking and holding a book signing at Escape Coffee.
Dr. David Bearman.
Dr. Bearman’s testimony at the hearing was a very powerful accounting of the medical uses of cannabis and rebuttals of opposition arguments. In short, a big exclamation point at the conclusion of a very productive week for medical cannabis in WI. Dr. Bearman is currently running for Santa Barbara County Supervisor in California, with the election scheduled for June 3, 2008, and speaking only on my own behalf and not that of Madison NORML, urge folks join me in supporting Dr. Bearman’s candidacy. Having someone with Dr. Bearman’s experience and qualifications on the Santa Barbara County Board would be a big plus that would reververbate far beyond county and state borders.
Dr. Bearman speaks at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, where he began his medical career.
To learn more, visit the David Bearman for Supervisor campaign website:
A Prescription for Change!
click here
Posted by Gary at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2008
WI Supreme Court ruling ends forced DARE contributions by defendants
Posted by Gary Storck
Friday, April 25, 2008
A Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling means the end of forcing defendants to make donations to groups like DARE to settle their cases. The La Crosse Tribune is reporting that effective March 27, the ruling removes the ability of judges to force a defendant to make a contribution to a crime-prevention organization as an alternative to sentencing or judgment.
La Crosse Tribune click here
Friday, April 25, 2008
JO ANNE KILEEN | Lee Newspapers
NEW COURT RULING REMOVES FUNDING SOURCE FROM DARE PROGRAMCrime-prevention programs such as DARE — Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education — could take a hit in funding with a change in how citations can be paid.
A new law became effective March 27 that repeals the ability of judges to force a defendant or make a contribution to a crime-prevention organization as an alternative to sentencing or judgment.
In a letter to municipal court judges, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin stated, “Although the organizations that receive the funds are often valuable to the community, this funding mechanism creates the potential for inappropriate prosecutorial charging decisions, the appearance of fundraising or favoritism by the judges and a general perception by the public that favorable outcomes in criminal cases can be bought by defendants who can afford them.”
According to Pam Sharp, administrative manager for the Onalaska Police Department, the forfeitures paid to DARE in Onalaska were a significant part of the revenue sources. In addition to those funds, the city has community fundraisers and applies for grants as other sources of revenue.
“Right now, because of (the new law), we won’t get those contributions,” Sharp said. “It has the potential to be a major blow to the program. We’ll have to be creative and put alternative proposals before the finance committee and city council.”
The La Crosse Police Department’s DARE program has never received money from defendants in La Crosse Municipal Court, said Capt. Rob Abraham. The program is funded through public donations, money raised from fundraisers and grants money, with the exception of the DARE officer’s wage, which is funded through the municipal budget.
The DARE program for municipalities outside Onalaska and La Crosse — such as West Salem, Bangor and Holmen — are operated through the La Crosse County Sheriff ’s Department.
Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Horstmann said the circuit courts had stopped the contributions around 2004-05, so there was minimal impact on the countywide program from the new law.
The DARE program with the county is financed through taxpayer dollars allocated to the sheriff’s department’s budget.
The only DARE expense paid through the county budget is the salary of one DARE officer. Horstmann said supplies are minimal. Funds needed for textbooks and other materials are obtained through major fundraisers such as the annual GREAT/DARE Chili Cook-off.
La Crosse Tribune reporter Anne Jungen contributed to this report.
Posted by Gary at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2008
4/20 in Madison: See you at 4:20?
Posted by Gary Storck
Sunday, April 20, 2008
While public 420 celebrations will occur in some locations this Sunday, members of Madison’s cannabis culture will likely be confining most of their revelry to small private gatherings, despite good outdoor inhaling weather. At least a couple of local nightclubs are hosting events Sunday night, but of course, any herbal celebrations must happen clandestinely, given cannabis prohibition.
And yes, I’m a little bitter about cannabis prohibition, particularly after having to return to it after a week in California earlier this month. A little freedom can really have a dramatic effect on a prohibition-weary soul like myself.
Madison will not be like Boulder, Colorado, for example, where medical use is legal and possession for other use decriminalized. In Boulder, the annual 4/20 "smoke-out" will be held on the Colorado University (CU) campus.
"4/20 is our largest activist event of the year. We expect over 10,000 people to be at this year's 4/20," said Alex Douglas, a member of the NORML board of directors for the CU chapter told the Colorado Daily. "It's more than a smoke-out this year, its going to be more of an activist rally where people are holding signs."
NORML at CU, who does not support anyone smoking marijuana at the 4/20 event, will also host guest speakers and a concert, all part of activities that will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Daily reported.
Unfortunately, UW-Madison not only lacks a NORML chapter but a SSDP chapter that once held a regional conference has become nearly dormant due to graduation attrition. Throw in apathy and fear and it seems that more beer than 420 will be consumed on 4/20 here.
All is not lost. Us graybeards out in the community will make sure there is a Harvest Fest 38 this October.
Meanwhile, check out these 4/20 events in Madison on Sunday!
4/20 celebration with Natty Nation, Nama Rupa, Tropical Riddims Sound System will be at the Majestic Theatre starting at 8 pm.
At the High Noon Saloon: Jose & Sumlimes (Sublime tribute) Copper Still Foundry (as Drive-By Truckers) and Baghdad Scuba Review (Beatles tribute). 9:00 PM / $6 cover / 21 and up.
As for cannabis activism on a regional/global level, on May 3, 2008, there will be a march in Stevens Point WI in support of cannabis law reform. The march is part of a global effort involving cities across the globe. Eau Claire is also listed, but Madison NORML has been unable to verify and details as to time/location, etc.
Here’s the details for the Global March in Stevens Point: Saturday, May 3, 2008, 1:00pm - 3:00pm, Gather at K mart parking lot, Business 51 Stevens Point, WI
See you at 4:20.
Posted by Gary at 12:34 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2008
Meow! Key WI lawmaker questions creation of K-9 unit
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Good to see Rep. Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson), letting a little fur fly in ensuring legislative oversight of state agencies. The article also gives the public an interesting oversight/overview on how the State Patrol uses K-9 units on state highways.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel click here
Pubdate: April 20, 2008
Author: Steven Walters swalters@journalsentinel.com
LAWMAKER QUESTIONS CREATION OF K-9 UNITState Patrol did not seek legislative approval
Madison - A key lawmaker says the State Patrol should have sought legislative approval before it decided to create a K-9 unit in which dogs have been sniffing out illegal drugs in trucks and other vehicles for more than a year.
Rep. Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson), co-chair of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, wants State Patrol Superintendent Dave Collins, or another state Department of Transportation official, to explain how the K-9 unit got started without legislative oversight in 2006, how it has been paid for so far and what it will cost in the future.
"No one is questioning the value of the program," said Rhoades, who learned of it last week. "But how many other programs are there out there that state agencies, or state officials, started on their own?"
Collins said he made an enforcement decision to start the K-9 unit, which will have seven dogs - one for each regional Patrol post. Five dogs are already on the job, and two others are being trained with their handlers. Federal highway-safety funds are paying 80% of the costs, including salaries of the officers involved.
Collins bristled at the idea that he should have asked the Legislature before calling out the dogs.
When the Legislature gave the State Patrol permission to spend Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration money, lawmakers lost the right to dictate exactly how that cash is spent, he said.
"That enforcement decision doesn't rise to the level of a Joint Finance (Committee) vote," Collins said. "My question if I was Kitty Rhoades or a taxpayer is, 'How come the State Patrol wasn't doing this in 1979 or '89?' "
The dogs are just another crime-fighting tool - such as new radar units or video gear - that troopers and truck inspectors need to do their jobs, Collins said. It costs about $12,000 to buy each dog and to train it and its handler.
Legislative reviewRhoades said the real issue is oversight by legislators, who are required to monitor state spending.
"Any time we're taking in revenue, expending revenue and starting programs, some elected official ought to be aware of it," Rhoades said. "I would suggest that they get here quickly and explain how this happened, and what they are doing."
Rhoades also asked whether Gov. Jim Doyle - Collins' boss - knew the State Patrol was using drug-sniffing dogs.
Doyle "isn't involved in the day-to-day administration of the State Patrol," Doyle spokeswoman Jessica Erickson said. The governor trusts Collins "to make these decisions," she said.
Collins said the dogs have worked out well and been used by local law enforcement agencies. Over the past 15 months, the dogs have searched 650 vehicles, leading to drug seizures in 81 cases.
"These are only seven dogs, spread across 72 counties," Collins said. "It's also an outstanding tool for local sheriffs and police chiefs, who maybe can't afford a (dog). Our dog is in the area, can do a walk-around, when requested, or a sniff for narcotics."
One German shepherd, Ella, sniffed out 1,048 pounds of marijuana in a truck stopped Nov. 20 at the West Salem truck scales, for example. Another dog assisted in a Milwaukee Amtrak station investigation on March 17 that resulted in the confiscation of $32,000 in cash, said Patrol Sgt. Paul Matl, field coordinator for the K-9 unit.
Matl was Ella's handler when the marijuana was found in West Salem.
He said troopers and truck inspectors don't routinely call in the drug-sniffing dogs, but follow a specific protocol that identifies suspicious vehicles.
Vehicles on Wisconsin highways "should be hauling legitimate cargo across the United States - not transporting illegal drugs that are the scourge of our communities and our neighborhoods," Collins said.
In 2007, State Patrol officers made 1,611 drug arrests - a one-year increase of about 19%, he said.
When a dog finds drugs, it is rewarded with its favorite toy - and usually a tug-of-war game with its handler, Matl said.
"They live for playing tug-of-war with that toy," he said.
The State Patrol's unit includes five German shepherds, one Dutch shepherd and a Belgian Malinois.
Patrol officers are troopers and truck inspectors. Most of the dogs will be assigned to inspectors.
State troopers in neighboring states had K-9 units before Wisconsin. Minnesota has 11 dogs; Iowa has four.
Posted by Gary at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2008
Major papers endorse MN medical cannabis bill -- A win in MN can only help WI patients
Posted by Gary Storck
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The drama continues in Minnesota with several major papers endorsing the medical cannabis bill. If he vetoes the bill, MN Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty now faces defying not only an overwhelming majority of the people he represents, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and other leading state papers. Meanwhile, in Michigan, the initiative that would legalize medical cannabis has now officially qualified for the Nov. ballot, with the legislature's refusal to vote on the issue. Legislation is also pending in Illinois.
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune: click here.
Editorial: Medical marijuana merits state support
April 16, 2008
At a time when researchers are plunging into the rainforest in search of new medicines, there's growing consensus that a humble herb easily cultivated here may help patients struggling with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other painful, difficult-to-manage conditions.
The herb, whose slim, multi-pronged leaf makes it instantly recognizable, is marijuana. The Minnesota Senate has already approved a measure that would make Minnesota the 13th state to legalize its medical use. The House will likely vote this spring. Lawmakers, as well as the governor, should give the bill careful yet open-minded consideration and make it a reality.
For those in whom marijuana conjures up Cheech and Chong movies, support for the measure may come from surprising corners. Well-known Republican Steve Sviggum was a coauthor in 2007. Now leading the fight is Andover Republican Rep. Chris DeLaForest, who rightly believes it's a matter of keeping government out of the exam room.
There's solid and growing data on the medical benefits of marijuana and its active compound for treating neuropathy (which causes extremity pain), multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and chemotherapy-induced nausea and appetite loss. While other treatments are available, there are situations in which marijuana may work best. Doctors should be able to make this call.
The New England Journal of Medicine has editorialized in favor of marijuana's medical use. In January, the nation's second-largest group of physicians, the American College of Physicians, weighed in, also in favor.
Still, some respected Minnesota law-enforcement organizations vehemently oppose the measure. Among them: the Minnesota Chiefs of Police, the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association and the state's County Attorneys Association. A main objection is that unscrupulous physicians will green-light virtually anyone's use of marijuana. That's a valid concern. Reporters for ''60 Minutes" found one Californian who got the OK to smoke pot because of pain from high heels.
At the same time, California's original law was 11 lines long; Minnesota's is nine pages, and written more tightly to limit abuse. Unlike California, it requires qualifying patients to register and carry an ID card. Patients, who must have a health professional's approval to qualify, are also not allowed to grow their own; they'd buy marijuana from a registered nonprofit. There's still potential for abuse. But as Oxycontin illustrates, that can happen with any prescription drug.
Most western states and a handful in the northeast protect patients whose doctors have decided marijuana is the best treatment option. For the most part, the laws have worked well, without the worst-case scenarios feared by law enforcement. It's time for Minnesota to ensure that its sickest patients have all the treatment options they need.
© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
Posted by Gary at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
April 14, 2008
Minnesota television ads urge state's Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, not to veto medical marijuana bill
Posted by Gary Storck
Monday, April 14, 2008
Minnesota medical cannabis advocates are running television ads to attempt to convince that state's Republican governor to refrain from vetoing medical cannabis legislation that is poised to pass in the legislature.
Ad urges Pawlenty to allow medical marijuana use
Associated Press click here
April 14, 2008
ST. PAUL - A new TV ad features a woman suffering from extreme back pain tearfully asking Governor Tim Pawlenty not to stand in the way of a medical marijuana bill.
The Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project says it's spending more than $100,000 to air the message statewide starting later this week.
A bill that would make Minnesota the 13th state to allow medical marijuana use is headed for a House vote. The Senate approved the legislation last year.
But Pawlenty says he stands with law enforcement in opposing the bill.
The woman in the ad, Lynn Rubenstein Nicholson of Minneapolis, says she's tired of being a criminal.
Nicholson says she broke her back as a child and currently can't use marijuana because she is required to take drug tests as a condition of receiving other pain medications.
Posted by Gary at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2008
University of Wisconsin researchers helping to prove Marijuana can treat cancer, not cause it
Posted by Gary Storck
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Lanny Swerdlow, a resident of Palm Springs, CA, a registered nurse and director of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, a California-based medical marijuana patient support group and law reform organization, writes how UW researchers are helping to prove cannabis is a potent anti-cancer treatment.
Investigators at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health reported in January 2008 that the administration of cannabinoids halts the spread of a wide range of cancers, including brain cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lymphoma. The report noted that cannabis offer significant advantages over standard chemotherapy treatments because the cannabinoids in cannabis are both non-toxic and can uniquely target malignant cells while ignoring healthy ones.
Read entire article: click here.
Posted by Gary at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2008
Minnesota Medical cannabis bill nears House vote, Gov. Pawlenty vows to veto it
Posted by Gary storck
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday at the Minnesota Capitol, the state House Ways and Means Committee voted 13-4, with 12 members absent, to advance a state medical cannabis bill. As with last session, MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty has promised to veto this bill that would protect sick and dying Minnesotans from arrest for using their medicine.
However, with Michigan voters set to vote on medical cannabis this November, the tipping point for legal medical cannabis in the Midwest is getting closer. Pawlenty may be able to get away with defying the will of the people again, but really, how can this man sleep when there are people in his state suffering because they cannot get their medicine? Maybe John McCain will pick Pawlenty to be his running mate on a 2008 compassion-free GOP presidential/vice-presidential ticket and clear the way for a MN governor with a heart and some integrity.
Medical marijuana bill nears House vote
Don Davis Bemidji Pioneer
Published Thursday, April 10, 2008
ST. PAUL — More than 10,000 seriously ill Minnesotans could control pain with marijuana legally if a bill headed to the full House becomes law.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted 13-4, with 12 members absent, Wednesday to advance the measure. But Gov. Tim Pawlenty is likely to veto it if the House passes the measure.
“Gov. Pawlenty stands with law enforcement in opposition to this bill,” Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said. Rep. Tom Huntley of Duluth listens Tuesday to a technical change made to his bill allowing some patients to use marijuana to ease pain. The bill awaits action by the full House. Pioneer Photo/Don Davis Rep. Tom Huntley of Duluth listens Tuesday to a technical change made to his bill allowing some patients to use marijuana to ease pain. The bill awaits action by the full House. Pioneer Photo/Don Davis RELATED CONTENT
Don Davis Archive Even if the bill faces a veto, sponsor Rep. Tom Huntley, DFL-Duluth, said it is important to pass it as a message to Minnesotans.
The issue has arisen several times over the years, but has failed to pass the House. It passed the Senate last year, so if the House passes the measure – as Huntley expects – it heads directly to Pawlenty.
Many legislative committees heard testimony last year, so none was accepted on Wednesday.
Huntley said there are two changes from a year ago. One is that the College of American Physicians has endorsed medical marijuana use.
The other change, he said, is that “some of the people who testified last year have died.”
The bill allows doctors to approve marijuana use to reduce chronic pain. Patients could have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana at any one time.
If the bill became law, state officials predict at least 10,000 Minnesotans would use marijuana.
Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion, a Pawlenty appointee, said in an interview that medical marijuana decisions should be made by the federal Food and Drug Administration, which approves other drugs.
“The Legislature is going to replace this process,” Campion said. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“How do you regulate it?” he asked. “Who tests it?”
A dozen other states allow medical marijuana use, and Neal Levine of the Medical Marijuana Policy Project said it is important to those with chronic pain.
“The states are trying to protect their own citizens because the federal government arrests sick people,” Levine said.
Federal authorities have arrested people using marijuana for medical reasons, citing laws outlawing the practice.
“The overwhelming majority of the public supports it,” Huntley added.
Posted by Gary at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2008
Wisconsin Medical Cannabis bill sponsor Rep. Frank Boyle won't run again
Posted by Gary Storck
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Just back from Northern California and the Patients Out of Time Conference and was very surprised to read that longtime medical cannabis bill sponsor Rep. Frank Boyle (D-Superior) will not seek reelection this fall. Rep. Boyle has been the principal sponsor of every medical cannabis bill introduced since 1993, first with then-State Rep. Tammy Baldwin and later with her successor, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison). Frank Boyle has been the conscience of the Assembly for many years and his absence will be deeply felt by progressives at the Capitol. I thank Rep. Boyle for his compassion and willingness to be an advocate for medical cannabis, a controversial issue politically despite overwhelming public support. Thank you Frank Boyle!
Boyle won't run again
Shelley Nelson
Superior WI Daily Telegram
Published Friday, April 04, 2008
State Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Summit, announced this morning that he won’t be seeking re-election in the fall.
Boyle has served as the 73rd District Assemblyman for the last 22 years.
“It has been a tremendous run, and I have enjoyed it immensely,” Boyle wrote in a prepared statement. “But the time has come for me to retire and enjoy each and every day with my family.”
Boyle was known by many as a political maverick — a straight shooter who didn’t mince words and didn’t change his position just because he traveled from Superior to the state’s Capitol. He was never afraid to take on the controversial issues in which he believed.
He was among the founders of northern Wisconsin’s annual grassroots “Superior Days” lobbying effort and helped organize the Wisconsin Coalition for Peace and Justice when the President George H.W. Bush went to war with Iraq.
His first bill after taking office, based on an experiment taking place in Duluth, made arrest mandatory in cases of domestic abuse. But his proudest accomplishment in 22 years in office was the state’s biodiversity bill, which redefined how state forests are use.
Boyle stood firm on controversial issues, from medical marijuana to death with dignity and campaign finance reform.
Failing to achieve campaign finance reform, he said, is among his biggest disappointments after watching how the people’s business is now being auctioned to the highest bidder because of paid lobbyists.
Leaving office is “a bittersweet decision,” he said this morning. But he’s making plans to spend time climbing mountains — literally — before his legs give out, collect shells along the Atlantic coastline and spending time with his family, including his granddaughter, Mary.
“I didn’t stay with him for 22 years because he’s a jerk,” Boyle’s Madison assistant, Mary Lou Kelleher, said this morning. “He truly cared about people, and I think that’s what I saw most in him. … He preferred people just call him ‘Frank.’ He was down to earth, easy to talk with. He was always upfront about how he felt about things. It was common for me to tease him and tell him ‘why don’t you be a little more upfront with people.’”
Kelleher said she considers Boyle a friend.
Boyle gained a reputation for being the “flower man” at the state Capitol, Kelleher said. He would stop at the local farmer’s market or a flower shop and come back with flowers he would pass out to men and women alike at their offices.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Frank Boyle,” said Mayor Dave Ross, a Republican. “I have respected Frank because he plays no games, he doesn’t have two messages,” one for the district and one for Madison.
“Frank has never not fulfilled a promise he’s made when it comes to a number of issues,” Ross said.
While Ross and Boyle couldn’t have differed more on core political views, and have had a number of differences of opinion, they worked together on a number of issues, including payday lending, a statewide smoking ban and Leah’s Law.
“He got it. He understood it. And fought hard for us in Madison to get Leah’s Law as far as it has gotten,” Ross said.
The bill, a result of a grassroots effort by surviving friends and family of Superior murder victim Leah Gustafson, would create a violent offender registry similar to the similar one for sex offenders.
In late February, the bill cleared the Assembly Committee for Criminal Justice.
“Frank has been a real friend,” Ross said. “I’ve enjoyed my relationship with him … I’m going to miss Frank. He’s a straight shooter.”
It’s one of the things Kelleher said she is going to miss about Boyle when he steps down in January, following the next election.
“I have enjoyed meeting and working with the people of the 73rd Assembly District,” Boyle said. “While some of us didn’t always agree, it is my hope that the citizens appreciated the fact that I was clear about my stance on the issues, rather than sitting on the proverbial political fence.”
“I’m proud of the issues I have taken on, whether those issues became law or simply needed to be discussed in the public arena,” he said.
Posted by Gary at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2008
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Rimonabant: You'd be thinner, but possibly sad
Posted by Gary Storck
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Intweresting article out of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about what happens when you fool with Mother Nature by tampering with our bodies' endocannabinoid receptors.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Pubdate: April 2, 2008
Author: John Fauber
YOU'D BE THINNER, BUT POSSIBLY SADPill helps weight loss, not mood, study says
Chicago - Would you take a pill that would make you lose 10 pounds, but would do nothing for your heart health and might make you anxious or depressed?
The latest saga in the endless quest to find a magic bullet for weight loss was released Tuesday.
"It is the Holy Grail of pharmacology," said Marc Shelton, an Illinois cardiologist who moderated a session at which the new research was presented.
The study involved the diet drug rimonabant, which is available in Europe but has yet to get approval in the United States, though several Web sites sell the prescription medication.
In a clinical trial of 839 obese people, the drug failed to show any improvement in the health of their coronary arteries, though over a period of 18 months, participants who took the drug lost an average of 9.5 pounds and nearly 2 inches from their waists compared with those who got a placebo. Members of the placebo group lost an average of about 1 pound and less than a half-inch from their waists.
However, 43% of those who took rimonabant had adverse psychiatric effects, mostly anxiety, depression and insomnia, compared with 28% of those who took the placebo. One patient in the rimonabant group committed suicide, and one patient in the placebo group attempted suicide.
Rimonabant is an endocannabinoid receptor antagonist, meaning it works in the brain in the opposite way that marijuana makes people hungry.
"It reverses munchies," said Anthony DeFranco, a cardiologist at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee who took part in the rimonabant study when he worked in Michigan.
Results of the trial were presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting and published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Some improvements seenThe typical person in the study weighed 228 pounds and had a waistline of 46 inches at the start of the trial.
In addition to the modest trimming experienced by those on the drug, they had significant improvements in their HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and triglycerides, a type of unhealthy fat found in the blood.
Despite those improvements, when researchers used a type of ultrasound catheter to look at the arteries of their heart, they found no improvement, though a secondary measure suggested that there might be a favorable effect.
"Something was happening," said lead author Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
However, Nissen said more research is needed, and he noted that two other large clinical trials of the drug now are going on in the U.S.
Drug's futureDoctors had differing opinions of what the study's findings will mean for the drug.
DeFranco said the high rate of psychiatric side effects is a bad sign.
"It's unlikely that the (Food and Drug Administration) will ever approve it," he said.
But he said several other drugs that work in a similar manner are being tested, and eventually one of them will get approved.
"That's why all sorts of drug companies are investing billion of dollars to down-regulate appetite," he said. "It may be five, seven or 10 years down the road, but we will find something."
Russell Wilke, a physician who works in the weight loss clinic at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, said he was excited by the findings.
"It's a good drug, and it's really promising," said Wilke, an associate professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Wilke said the class of cannabinoid receptor drugs has beneficial metabolic effects such as improving HDL cholesterol and lowering triglycerides.
The rimonabant study was funded by the maker of the drug, Sanofi-Aventis.
Trial for another drugIn a separate trial presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting, researchers with Merck reported unpublished results from a one-year study of its cannabinoid receptor drug, taranabant.
The trial of 2,502 obese people showed that they lost nine to 12 pounds more than those taking a placebo.
Psychiatric side effects occurred in 20% of those taking a placebo and in 28% and 40% of those taking different d