Medical Cannabis Navy offshore
MADISON: The Wisconsin Medical Society’s (SMS) annual fundraiser and two-day meeting at Madison’s Monona Terrace Convention Center was not the quiet, unobtrusive event in 2010 as it had been in prior years.
From Thursday, April 15 until Saturday, April 17, medical cannabis patients and activists were on the scene, shining a bright light on the Society’s position against Wisconsin medical cannabis legislation and the doctor who enthusiastically lobbies against legal access for seriously ill patients on their behalf, Dr. Michael M. Miller M.D. FASAM.
Does HE speak for YOU?
Activists with signs reading, “Dr. Michael M. Miller “Does HE speak for YOU?” and, “Conflict of Interest” and other messages were at Monona Terrace’s front entrance on East Wilson St., on the bike path along the Center’s lake side, and on Friday, on Lake Monona itself in full view of conference delegates looking down from the Center above.
Support from attendees at other Monona Terrace events including a film festival and Saturday's Isthmus Green Day festival was nearly unanimous. Many took fliers and promised to call their state lawmakers and the SMS. Even people bearing Medical Society meeting badges expressed support. A Madison man on the bike path Saturday whose first name begins with "M" stated Dr. Miller had treated him twice, causing, he said, near fatal complications each time.
Patients protest Thursday night
The addition of a boat on Friday brought particular attention to the SMS Meeting and brought much delight to onlookers and passersby, including cyclists on the bike path. The gentleman on the boat, anchored offshore and holding a sign reading, "Dr. Miller is Very Bad Man" said he saw many SMS attendees pointing at the sign, laughing, then taking pictures with their cell phones or cameras.
Many badge wearing SMS attendees waved or gave the thumbs up or other signs of support. Other boats passing by offered honks of support, including a passing rowing team whose coxswain repeated through his megaphone, “Dr. Miller is Very Bad Man”. Monona Terrace Convention Center employees even appeared at one point, asking him why he was there and saying his display was causing quite a stir with Medical Society members upstairs looking down on the lake.
Array of Signage on Friday
Organizers say they are just getting started. The annual meeting protest was the followup to an earlier protest at the Society's plush lakeshore offices in Madison on March 23, at which Medical Society employees harassed and confronted protesters, unsuccessfully trying to provoke an incident. Medical Society employees crossed on to public property to photograph protesters and their vehicles and otherwise attempted to intimidate medical cannabis patients and supporters including an Iraq war vet with severe PTSD. The vet, former Marine Sgt. Erin Silbaugh, who served three tours in Iraq, was out front Friday for several hours.
Another view of our "Navy" on Friday
Here is the text from the event handout:
"Why we are here today:
State Medical Marijuana Legislation must pass by April 22 or it is dead in committee for the session, just like the last 8 sessions (16 years)
For decades, the Wisconsin State Medical Society (SMS), a group representing less than half of state doctors and few family and primary care physicians, has been an opponent of changing state law to protect patients using medical marijuana from arrest, jail and loss of access to their medicine.
Saturday's signage
In the last decade, the face of the SMS's opposition to medical cannabis legislation has been Dr. Michael M. Miller M.D. FASAM. At the combined public hearing for AB554/SB368, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act on Dec. 15, 2009, Dr. Miller likened smoking marijuana to smoking "crack cocaine". He laid out the Society's position, that the law should not be changed, and that our state's veterans, seniors, sick, disabled and dying citizens who can benefit from medical cannabis, now legal in 14 states, should be targeted by law enforcement.
It is immoral for a Medical Society to oppose a safe and effective medicine like Medical Cannabis. State Legislators are using the Society's opposition to the JRMMA as a shield to justify opposing the bill. Polling has found that over 80% of Wisconsinites support medical cannabis." - from event flier.
Saturday at the Terrace
The flier also urged action:
"Please call your state Assembly Representative and State Senator and ask them to pass the JRMMA before the session ends April 22. Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-362-9472 (M-F 8:15a-4:45p) - Who Are My Legislators? http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx
Please call the state Medical Society and ask them to fire Dr. Michael Miller as their lobbyist and to support, not oppose this compassionate legislation. Our vets, seniors, sick, disabled and dying need medical cannabis now, not more toxic Big Pharma drugs!
Wisconsin Medical Society
330 E. Lakeside Street
PO Box 1109
Madison, WI 53701-1109
Main Phone: 866.442.3800 (toll-free)
Main Fax: 608.442.3802 "
Organizers plan to keep up the pressure and plan to continue protests at the Medical Society itself as well as outside events like the annual meeting.
Links to more articles about Dr Michael M Miller MD, FASAM:
2010: A Medical Cannabis Odyssey: Patients protest WI Med Society by Land and by “Sea”
Wisconsin legislators using flawed Medical Society testimony as shield against supporting MMJ bill
Wisconsin Medical Marijuana opponents out of touch with public, can't get facts straight
Comments
Has anyone even talked to Dr Miller since then???? Or are you just outside the WMS with no one there? Why doesn't someone make him answer for what he said....yelling at a building DOES NOTHING....Has anone called about the bill?? I heard its DEAD.
Keep up the Motivation. The injustice with Medical Marijuana will be shown to Wisconsin Residents and to the rest of the United States.
To Always question the motives: I think you need to read the article a little closer. The protest was at Monona Terrace Convention Center at their annual meetings, not the SMS. It was very public. We talked to Dr. Miller there. His position is unchanged.
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