Wisconsin: Media Continues Heavy Coverage of Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act

By Gary Storck, Madison NORML

Below is a compilation of recent news articles about the Jacki Rickert MMJ Act. More are on the way.

MADISON: As support builds, Wisconsin media outlets continue to portray the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act in a favorable light. Patients are sharing their stories with reporters, resulting in some very moving personal stories of just how much cannabis can help people in our state who are suffering today

Below is a sampling of highlights from the last week.

On Wednesday Nov, 25, the day before Thanksgiving, The Capital Times published a 4000-word cover story by Cap Times reporter Steven Elbow that presented a very broad view of the issue, with many viewpoints represented.

(State Rep. Mark) Pocan says that with polls showing overwhelming support for medical marijuana in Wisconsin and wide support in neighboring states, Republicans have seen the writing on the wall.

"I'm sure they're hearing from their constituents," he says. "My guess is where they're used to just saying no, because that's kind of what they do when measures come up from Democrats, in this case I think they realize there's a real price back home to pay by just having an obstructionist agenda."

The article also explored the difficult choices faced by patients attempting to manage serious debilitating conditions, like MS patient Christine Harrington, whose husband was jailed for growing her medicine.

Crawford County District Attorney Tim Baxter didn't return calls for comment, but Christine Harrington says he was sensitive to her plight. Baxter agreed to a joint recommendation with John Harrington's attorney to hand him a light sentence that didn't include probation, allowing him to avoid potential prison time resulting from probation violations, which would have been a distinct possibility.

Having suffered drastic side effects from the steroid treatment prescribed by her physician -- including urinary, bladder, kidney and blood infections -- Christine Harrington says she has no intention to stop using marijuana, which she says alleviates her pain and nausea with no side effects.

-- "Will Wisconsin Join Other States in Legalizing Medical Marijuana?", Capital Times, Wed, 25 Nov 2009.

Wisconsin's Gannett dailies also went directly to patients in seeking out how Wisconsinites might find relief through legal medical cannabis. Like other sources, they talked to patients already doing so already in spite of the law, simply because it works much better than standard toxic pharmaceuticals.

"If ( marijuana ) is going to help, I have to make a decision -- I don't use it and lose my job and go on disability, or do I take a risk here?" Chuck said.

"I can go from on the floor crying in pain to sitting relaxed in minutes with a minute amount of cannabis," said Chuck, who suffers from myotonic dystrophy, a disorder where the person suffers progressive muscle wasting. "I'm talking about two puffs."

-- "State Weighs Medical Cannabis", Fri, 27 Nov 2009, Wausau Daily Herald.

The article was also picked up by the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune on Sat, 28 Nov 2009: "State Mulls Legalization of Medical Cannabis".

Syndicated health columnist Dr. Peter Gott, an admitted tobacco consumer, displayed his old school roots with a recent backwards portrayal of the risks of smoking cannabis that was carried by the Wisconsin State Journal.

This was part of my response:

If Dr. Gott is so wrong about cannabis, how can we trust his other advice? The proper prescription would be to attend next April's cannabis conference. Patients Out of Time ( see: www.medicalcannabis.com ) presents these conferences every two years. Mary Lynn Mathre, a nurse and the group's cofounder, is scheduled to be in Madison on Dec. 15 for the combined Health committee hearing on the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act.

-- “Dr. Gott Out of Date on Cannabis Advice”, Thu, 26 Nov 2009, Wisconsin State Journal.

Dave Zweifel, the editor emeritus of The Capital Times, offered his own personal story of playing "cannabis angel", in this piece arguing that while medical should be an immediate priority, that it's time to legalize cannabis completely.

The time for Wisconsin to become the 15th state to allow patients to use pot to make their lives a bit more comfortable is long past due. My own father, who was suffering mightily from the pains of pancreatic cancer, found some relief from marijuana I was able to illegally purchase for him in the last weeks of his life.

That was more than 30 years ago and politicians still balk at allowing sick people the relief that marijuana can provide some of them. Hopefully, the Wisconsin Legislature will act quickly to legalize medical marijuana at the very least. Meanwhile the time has come for Congress to end the war on pot - period. We've got far better uses for all the money and resources.

Zweifel went on to talk about my medical use as noted in the Capitol press conference on Nov. 16.

Madison's Gary Storck, who has been pushing for decades to get the Legislature to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, put it bluntly the other day: "We're not criminals, we're just trying to get on with our lives."

Storck says he has been using marijuana since 1972 to treat his glaucoma and arthritis.

-- “Time to End the War on Pot – Period”, Mon, 30 Nov 2009, Capital Times.

Some nice online commentary was provide on the website of Madisdon's weekly Isthmus, Isthmus.com, by columnist Emily Mills.

It’s ridiculous that pot has occupied the same class of dangerous drugs as LSD and heroin, and that penalties for possession and even small-scale grow operations have been so disproportionate. It’s even more ridiculous that our deeply ingrained and somewhat irrational fear of the stuff has led to such thorough stifling of important research—science that could help lead to a higher quality of life for those patients whose conditions would qualify them to use it.

-- "Emily's Post: Straight dope on the Wisconsin medical marijuana bill", Tuesday 12/01/2009, Isthmus.com.

Finally, The Scene, a Wisconsin monthly out of the Fox Valley, which devoted an entire issue to the First JRMMA in 2007, carried two articles about medical cannabis and the JRMMA in their Dec. 2009 edition.

"I cannot fathom the reluctance of my federal government to allow the use of medical cannabis for the sick and dying of the U.S.," (Federal patient Irvin) Rosenfeld said in a press release sent out to announce his world record. "My experience of use, the calming of my negative symptoms, that has allowed me to be a useful, contributing member of society must be extended to all the ill based on the judgment of medical professionals and not guided or restrained by the dictates of law enforcement who have no empathy for the ill nor the education to appropriately enter into doctor-patient relationships and treatment options."

Of the JRMMA, the Scene's Jim Lundstrom continued:

The Act has already drawn support from a number of state groups, including the Wisconsin Nurses Association, AIDS Resource Center of WI, Epilepsy Foundation of Southern WI, Hospice Organizations and Palliative Experts (HOPE), and the Wisconsin chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"As Jacki has put it, 'This bill, this time'," Storck said. "I have never felt this level of support before. People are fed up with being forced to use toxic meds. A lot of folks have no insurance. We are tired of looking over our shoulders, and buying medicine from drug cartels instead of dispensaries or getting it from caregivers."

-- “Medical marijuana: 'This time, this bill!',” 1 December 2009, The Scene.

The Scene's second article's focus discussed the efforts of myself and Mary Powers.

Mary's last day of lobbying was Oct. 7.

"She was using an oxygen tank," Storck said. "I took her into (Senate Republican leader) Scott Fitzgerald's office to show them the face of medical marijuana, after his spokesperson, Kimber Leidl, issued statements saying 'the risks outweighed the benefits'."

Mary Powers died in her sleep Oct. 22.

He also discussed my survibal of a 1997 post-surgical infection and my outlook on the JRMMA's chances.

"And I vowed that day that I would use this extra time I was given to see that medical cannabis was finally legal in Wisconsin. It's looking like, with a little luck and the blessings of the cannabis angels, that those efforts will soon come to fruition. But, there is still a lot of work yet, and the people of Wisconsin need to make their 80% support heard. But from a very long view, we are very close to the Promised Land."

A nice touch at the articles end was "Key Points Of The Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act". Read entire article at the link below.

-- "Medical marijuana: 'Very close to the Promised Land'," 1 December 2009, The Scene.

For all the latest updates on the Jacki Rickert MMJ Act and how you can help, visit IMMLY and Madison NORML's website, JRMMA.org. JRMMA.org also has detailed information on attending and submitting testimony at the upcoming Combined Health Committee hearing on Dec. 15, 10am, Room 412 East at the State Capitol here in Madison.


Source: http://www.madisonnorml.org/blog/archives/000532.php