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?
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I believe the bill is based on Michigan’s medical marijuana laws so it should say “recommend”. Though this bill has added PTSD as a qualifying condition, and dispensaries as an alternative to growing your own. So it is somewhat different.
While the efforts of Wisconsin’s lawmakers are applaudible, I’d like to point out a fatal flaw in the legislation.
The flaw is the use of the word “prescription”.
I live in Louisiana, a state which has one of the oldest medical cannabis laws in the country. 1978′s H.B.1187 provides qualified physicians can legally prescribe medical marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma and cancer. In 1991, the law was amended to include victims of paralysis.
Since the bill used the word “prescription”, it is in conflict with federal law. That’s why effective MMJ laws in 14 states had to use the word “recommend”.
Louisiana created a board to oversee the implementation of the new law, but in 1992 the board was disolved, and the law has remained dormant ever since.
I would hope someone in Wisconsin notices the oversight and corrects it before making the same sad mistake made in Louisiana.