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| Lawmakers Introduce Medical-Marijuana Bill |
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Posted by FoM on December 12, 2001 at 14:27:28 PT By Sarah Wyatt Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press 
Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Ed Thompson endorsed a bill Tuesday that would allow Wisconsin residents suffering from cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and other diseases to legally smoke marijuana to help manage their pain and increase their appetites. "It's high time that the Wisconsin Legislature gets off its high horse and recognizes how important this is," said Thompson, who is mayor of Tomah and brother of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. "Nobody's ever died from the use of marijuana," he said. "It's not harmful but helpful." Reps. Frank Boyle, D-Superior, and Mark Pocan, D-Madison, on Tuesday introduced the bill, which would allow people to grow or buy marijuana if their doctor gave them a statement consenting to its use for medical purposes. It's an issue state lawmakers have brought up for nearly eight years, Boyle said. The bill would allow nonprofit corporations to produce and distribute medical marijuana if they were licensed and regulated by the state Department of Health and Family Services. Gary Storck, of the group "Is My Medicine Legal Yet," said he has been using medical marijuana for 30 years to treat his glaucoma and arthritis, despite the risk of arrest and conviction under state and federal laws. "This is the only thing that allows me to function normally," he said. "People are very caught up in the image of the dope-smoking hippie, but it goes beyond that. It does have medical benefits." The bill faces substantial opposition in the state Assembly and among the medical community. "This topic has been a perennial loser here in the Assembly that has done a lot to define Madison liberals but not much to impact the debate," said Steve Baas, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha. Dr. Michael Miller, former president of the Dane County Medical Society, said there have been clinical trials of orally administered and prescribed THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana, but not of smoked marijuana. "There's not clear evidence that it works for any medical condition," he said. The State Medical Society supports lifting legal barriers to clinical trials, but not to legalizing marijuana's medical use, since there are too many potential risks, including increased addiction, Miller said. Tiffany Richards, of the Wisconsin Nurses Association, said legalizing medical marijuana would ensure thorough clinical research. "We know it works, but we need proof in the scientific community," Richards said. Voters in Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington also have approved ballot initiatives allowing the use of medical marijuana. A Hawaii law, which provided the framework for the Wisconsin bill, was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor last year. On the Net: Is My Medicine Legal Yet: http://www.immly.org State Medical Society: http://www.wismed.org Wisconsin Nurses Association: http://www.wisconsinnurses.com Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) Related Articles & Web Sites: Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin Medical Marijuana Information Links Medical Use of Pot Proposed State Lawmakers Introduce Medical Marijuana Bill Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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