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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 4:50 pm | By: Radical Russ
MADISON (AP) — Legalizing medical marijuana will ease the cancer patients’ pain and help others who are suffering, supporters of legalization argued Monday.
Two Democratic state lawmakers, advocates and those fighting chronic diseases said at a news conference there is momentum nationwide to decriminalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons.
They pointed to Gov. Jim Doyle’s comments last month in support of legalizing medical marijuana for people who have a doctor’s prescription. Also, the American Medical Association called last week for a federal review of marijuana’s status as a controlled substance to make it easier to do research that could lead to development of marijuana-based medicines.
Everyone knows someone who would benefit if the law were changed, said Jacki Rickert, founder of “Is My Medicine Legal Yet?” She suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and reflexive sympathetic dystrophy, bone and joint diseases that limit movement and lead to painful muscle spasms. Marijuana eases the pain, she said.
Under the measure co-sponsored by state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, a person would need a prescription from a doctor to receive marijuana, which could either be grown at home or obtained through a licensed nonprofit dispensary. The bill is up for a hearing Dec. 15.
Ah, my first piece of press where a lawmaker points to the American Medical Association’s reversal on “smoked cannabis”. It’s going to be fun posting more of these as the year winds down.
I got to meet Jacki in Madison this year. She is a tenacious woman and her bill needs to be passed this year. Already one prominent medical marijuana activist has passed away waiting for this legislation; this is not an issue that needs more study or delays. To get involved, contact Madison NORML and Is My Medicine Legal Yet?
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 10:14 am | By: Dudemaster
In a surprise turn-around, the Governor of Wisconsin, Jim Doyle, has stated he would not oppose the legalization of Medical Marijuana in Wisconsin.
Furthermore, a live bill is currently up for co-sponsors but only until the end of TODAY at 5pm! It’s called the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act. Please act now and ask that your legislator support medical marijuana.
We need a real grass roots effort in Wisconsin to get this thing co-sponsored by the end of the day!
Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday he would not oppose the legalization of medicinal marijuana in Wisconsin.
At an appearance in Wausau earlier this week, Doyle spoke with reporters and commented on the decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to no longer prosecute suppliers or users of medicinal marijuana in states where its use is legal as long as state law is being followed.
Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for the governor, clarified Doyle’s comments.
“As a former prosecutor, [Doyle] saw why the Justice Department would not want to devote resources to cases in which state law was being followed,” Sensenbrenner said.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the United States Department of Justice to pursue people who are potentially glaucoma patients or suffering [from other] severe illnesses,” he added. “It’s probably less dangerous than [other things] a doctor can prescribe.”
According to Sensenbrenner, the governor would potentially be supportive of state legislation allowing prescribed marijuana, as long as it does not open up a “loophole” for other marijuana use. However, he said the governor will not actively push any bill through the legislature.
“That’s up to the legislature to take that up if that’s their intent,” Sensenbrenner said.
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 5:56 pm | By: Radical Russ
Three Sheboygan County men have been charged with felony marijuana possession after being busted while camping in a state wildlife refuge this summer, according to a criminal complaint.
Charges were filed Friday against Patrick J. Wymbs, Brian L. Paarmann and David H. Paarmann based on marijuana discovered Aug. 28 by a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warden, the complaint said. All three have prior marijuana convictions, making the possession offense a felony with a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison.
The Paarmanns — who also had pipes — were charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, and all three men were cited for camping in an unauthorized area. Brian Paarmann was cited for starting a fire in an unauthorized area.
These guys didn’t do the smartest thing, possessing pot and pipes while camping and burning illegally. Steinborn’s Rule says only break one law at a time. Now they will be considered felons and possibly do a year and a half of hard time just because they were unlucky or dumb enough to get caught with pot more than once.
So, what egregious offense did these three men commit that is so deserving of the Wisconsin tax payer dollars it will cost to keep them incarcerated for eighteen months, not to mention the court and prosecutorial and perhaps public defender time?
Five men were at the site, and three had marijuana in their pockets. Wymbs, 29, had 4.3 grams; Brian Paarmann, 43, had 9.6 grams; and David Paarmann, 38, had 0.5 grams.
The average cost to the state of incarcerating an inmate for one year in a state facility in fiscal year 2002 was approximately $25,985.
Three guys, eighteen months, that’s $116,932.50, isn’t it? Then let’s consider the eighteen months these men won’t be contributing anything in payroll or sales taxes to Wisconsin. Perhaps their wives and kids have to get state assistance from Wisconsin when these mens’ income are interrupted. Maybe these mens’ Wisconsin employers also have to recruit, hire, and train people to replace them.
But at least for Wisconsin’s six figure investment, it will be slightly more difficult, but not impossible, for them to get some marijuana to smoke in prison. And then when they get out and can’t get decent work because they’re felons, maybe they can earn a little money dealing weed…
Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 2:17 pm | By: Radical Russ
I hope you don’t mind if your Stash is a little early. My beloved Twelve Time World Champion Mighty Green Bay Packers are playing the Vikings on Monday Night Football, and I’m right across the street from a fantastic sports bar where I will enjoy watching my defense go after their quarterback. In case you’re wondering, here’s what the people of Wisconsin think of #4 these days…
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Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 1:54 pm | By: Radical Russ
Baghdad SCUBA Review rocks Madison WI
Baghdad SCUBA Review is a six-piece “modern classic rock” group that played on the steps of the state capitol in Madison for the Great Midwest Harvest Fest’s march for the Jackie Rickert Medical Marijuana Act. Of all the groups I saw this weekend, this is the one I was most impressed by, and not just because the bass player was playing a Beatle bass and wearing a NORML shirt.
A Beatle bass and a NORML t-shirt... one of my favorite combinations!
Check them out at BaghdadSCUBAReview.com. This six piece weaves some great vocal harmonies into their tunes and their musicianship is top notch. They’ve got some very jazzy melody lines that the guitars, keyboard, and bass all played in unison and in harmony throughout many of their tunes. Their drummer is just plain knocked out and their percussionist actually understands the musicality of the instruments instead of just smacking away at a pair of bongos like most festival hippie kids do.
Mad props to the BSR, especially for playing so well in such cold weather. It’s not easy keeping a guitar in tune and moving those fingers when it is 54° F and breezy. Enjoy this tune from their 2007 album, “Testing the Waters”, entitled “Scuba Snacks”.
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Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 9:41 am | By: Radical Russ
Thousands marching to capitol in Madison for medical marijuana
(Wisconsin State Journal) Hundreds of medical marijuana supporters rallied Sunday at the State Capitol for legislation that would make Wisconsin the 14th state to legalize cannabis for treatment of debilitating illnesses.
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, are co-sponsors of the newly drafted Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, which would protect Wisconsin patients from arrest and prosecution and allow them or a designated caregiver to possess and grow a small amount of cannabis for medical use, said Gary Storck, communications director for the nonprofit advocacy organization Is My Medicine Legal YET?
Ken Wolski, Jackie Rickert, and Jim Miller (hear their interview on Show 005 at live.norml.org)
Rickert, a 58-year-old grandmother from Mondovi who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and advanced reflex sympathetic dystrophy, founded IMMLY in 1992. In 1997, she led a 210-mile trek of patients in wheelchairs from Mondovi to Madison to advocate for legal access to marijuana.
Rickert said she began using marijuana to stimulate her appetite after dropping to 68 pounds. “I’m alive because of cannabis,” said Rickert, who now calls herself “a heavyweight” at 93 pounds.
“It’s got to be this bill, this time,” Rickert told supporters Sunday, saying that every time someone else signs on in support of medical marijuana, “It’s like saying, ‘More hope.’”
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 4:39 pm | By: Radical Russ
Show 005: Gary Storck, Jim Miller, & Jackie Rickert from Madison, WI; Paul Stanford in Oregon with Jack Herer update.
I hope you’ll join me tonight in the chat room and on the air for NORML SHOW LIVE, coming up at 6pm PT / 9pm ET. I’m streaming from the University Inn on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in room 207. There are young men staying in every room on the floor but me, and if tonight is like last night, they will be yelling and drinking and partying. Should make for an interesting show.
My guests tonight will include Paul Stanford from The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation to give us an update on the health of the Emperor of Hemp, Jack Herer. Paul has been at his bedside at Portland Emanuel Hospital and will squash all the internet rumors about Jack’s condition. You can help by donating to The Jack Herer Fund at ANY US Bank location.
My very special guests on this 39th Annual Great Midwest Harvest Fest edition are Wisconsin activist Gary Storck (http://immly.org), New Jersey activist Jim Miller (http://cmmnj.org), and medical marijuana patient and activist Jackie Rickert, for whom Wisconsin’s medical marijuana bill is named.
Cannabis Karri will bring us the latest news stories and we’ll be taking your calls live at 347-994-1810.
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 8:17 am | By: Radical Russ
Ah, college. I forgot how loud we were in our twenties. My hotel is on the campus of University of Wisconsin and across the street from a college pub. Thus, the gentlemen in the rooms on either side of me were awake and partying until 3am, and back awake this morning at 8am.
I remember when I used to be able to do that on beer. No longer. Plus, I’m coming down with a head cold. Lovely!
Anyway, it’s about time for me to make the walk to the Library Mall for the Saturday festivities. Check out the schedule here. I’ve got my Packers tie on and am wearing my greenish jacket with my goldish shirt. Nothing like sucking up to the hometown crowd, eh? Twitpics will appear all day from the event in the sidebar and tonight’s NORML SHOW LIVE will go on as scheduled at 6pm PT / 9pm ET from my hotel room. I’m going to bring the guests here rather than try to set up at the noisy party.
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 3:28 pm | By: Radical Russ
The New York Times has a nifty interactive map based on data from the 2006-2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (more data here). It provides a drop-down menu to choose which dataset you’d like, which I naturally used to choose “Percent of people 12+ who have used marijuana in the past year”. Based on that information, your Top Five Stoner States are:
Rhode Island (16.12%)
Vermont (15.75%)
Alaska (13.79%)
Oregon (13.12%)
Colorado (12.99%)
Surprised that California isn’t in that list? Me, too. I’m not at all surprised by Vermont, Alaska, Oregon, and Colorado, but stunned that Rhode Island came in at #1. I’d caution that this represents everyone from the once-a-year-at-a-concert toker all the way through the daily Stasher. If frequency and amount used were considered, I’d be willing to wager we here in Oregon are, uh, higher than #4. Curious about your Bottom Five?
Utah (7.17%)
Iowa (7.32%)
Mississippi (7.79%)
Texas (7.92%)
Alabama (7.96%)
That #1 result for Utah shouldn’t surprise anyone with its majority Mormon population that even rejects coffee drinking. Another category where Utah is number one is consumption of Jell-O, which was named the official state snack. Oddly enough, the one time Utah lost its Jell-O crown was when Iowa briefly overtook them. So I wonder, is there some sort of yin/yang thing going on between cannabis and gelatin snacks? If you’re too high does it make it tough to follow the Jell-O recipe, or is it that you get such munchies you don’t have time to wait for Jell-O to set? By the way, does anybody have a recipe for ganja Jell-O; maybe that’s the solution?
I also thought it would be interesting to look at the Top Five States for Binge Alcohol Drinking:
North Dakota (32.02%)
Wisconsin (28.84%)
Minnesota (28.75%)
South Dakota (28.34%)
Rhode Island (27.92%)
Apparently Rhode Island is the place to get your drink on and your smoke on. But for the other Top Five Stoner States, binge drinking rates fall somewhere in the middle of the country from Oregon (21.71%) and Alaska (22.74%) toward the lower range and Vermont (25.57%) and Colorado (26.15%) toward the upper range. Unsurprisingly, Utah (15.64%) is at the bottom of this list as well. I suppose if Jell-O vodka shots aren’t bumping that number up, ganja Jell-O won’t likely work, either.
RevRayGreen: I'll post a pic of me and my son....gimme a minute
Missippi Hippy: Guess what... I'm gonna be a new... ummmmm well, my pet piggie Ganja is in labor and they ain't mine in the same sense. See what your wife [...]
RevRayGreen: days they didn't talk back..or act disrespectful..
RevRayGreen: feel so lucky my son is 18 going 19 and my daughter 16 going on 17..relish the days that can't talk back
Urb Age: Congrats Spof thats awesome. My little Clara is about to hit 20 months. Im not the activist I used to be, but its made me a better man.
Urb Age: Heck I was gonna go up there, but just not feeling well this weekend..Dang it, I hate it when that happens..
RevRayGreen: wishing I was hanging at NORML cafe...
JohnH: Just a quick comment about tokin' and sperm motility....been tokin since age 14 and have 8 kids ranging in age from 30 to 9...(what can I say, I found 2 [...]
slash5city: really ..oprah 35 yr or more in the closet toker ...outed ....o my god !!
SneakerPimp: that would be huge news just imagen the headline
RevRayGreen: maybe Oprah smokes and keeps it on the DL...
SneakerPimp: and good afternoon
mr reuben: I could do without seeing Rob K. on tv. But Bruce and Eithan get a big thumbs up from me.
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