Statewide Day of Prayer for Compassion and State Med Society protest shine light on WI MMJ bill

JRMMA supporters at Day of Prayer.

MADISON: Back to back events, one reverent and somber, one quite the opposite at times, brought medical cannabis patients and supporters to Madison Tuesday.

The first was the Day of Prayer for Compassion ceremony at the State St. Steps landing over the noon hour. Taking advantage of sunny skies and comfortable temperatures, several dozen patients and supporters gathered. Many had driven in from around the state, coming from Wausau, Hartford, Milwaukee, Janesville and other areas.

The Day of Prayer included a number of voices. Al Baker sang and drummed an Ojibwe song of welcome. Al also brought his staff that he had used for the Second Lobby Day in February. I read a two prayers at different points, sent by patients. Below is the first, from a legal California medical cannabis patient with MS and her husband, Beckie and Jim Nikkel:.

Dear Father in Heaven,

We lift our hearts to You on this day of prayer. All things are possible with You. May Your love, compassion, and truth direct the hearts and minds of the legislators and people of Wisconsin. May Your good gift of medical cannibals be made safely available everywhere to all who would find relief from it's use. Yes, Father, according to Your Word, "let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-ending stream" (Amos 5:24)

By faith, we believe that inch by inch, state by state, our laws will more fully reflect this standard. We ask that the JRMMA will move our nation closer to the truth on this critical issue. Surely, Lord, You are close to the brokenhearted and bless all who put their trust in You. We humble ourselves before You, in the name of Jesus, through whom all blessings flow...Amen.

Iraq vet Erin Silbaugh speaks

Charles Wachtel spoke about veterans, then Erin Silbaugh, an Iraq War vet, PTSD patient and medical cannabis activist told his story. Erin delivered a moving speech of his three deployments and struggling with PTSD as well as the side effects of the harsh pharmaceuticals the VA uses to treat PTSD. At 12:30pm, the Rev. Jason Glaspie, a veteran, medical cannabis activist and cancer patient, as well as an ordained minister, led the gathering in a moment of silence. Al Baker performed an Ojibwe Sacred Pipe Ceremony to ask for a change in spirit so the JRMMA can go forward to conclude the event.

Activists rally at Day of Prayer

The Day of Prayer ceremony had a nice media presence with the Capital Times, Badger Herald, Wisconsin Public Radio, WKOW, Channel 47-Fox, WSAW and WISN television and others present. Read Capital Times and Badger Herald published reports.

Heading down John Nolen Drive after the Capitol event, we soon found ourselves at the nearby State Medical Society’s palatial offices on the shores of Lake Monona, surrounded by multimillion dollar lakeside homes.

Medical Cannabis patients picket SMS

The public face of the SMS for us was two employees who were apparently expecting us. It was not a party sent out to offer to meet with us and try to find common ground.

Dressed casually alike in matching wine colored shirts and black pants, the two men almost appeared as if they could have been with us, had they not immediately crossed onto public property to approach us with hostility, get in our faces, attempted to intimidate us and eventually to photograph our vehicles and event. 

SMS employee harassing peaceful protest

This outright harassment of patients in wheelchairs, Iraq vets, and other people with medical conditions is a direct reflection of the mentality of the Medical Society organization. Patients last!

By lobbying against the JRMMA, the SMS is really lobbying for the current status quo that forces patients unwilling to go down Big Pharma Way to buy medicine from potentially unsafe sources or grow it themselves or have a loved one or friend do so. Both options leave patients as potential targets of law enforcement.

SMS employees take smoke break.

A group whose first response to a nonviolent informational picket is to send low level goons to harass patients with a valid grievance is indicative of the heavy hand of control this group wields in our state. They did not want to talk. They came out to get in our faces in a threatening manner. We were only there to educate the SMS and people going to and from the SMS office.

The scene at 330 Lakeside St.

The State Medical Society position goes directly against the welfare and safety of state veterans, seniors, sick, disabled and dying who can benefit from cannabis. By lobbying to keep medical cannabis illegal, the SMS is green lighting the pharmaceutical poisoning and addictiveness of conventional drugs as well as joining with some state lawmakers in shrugging their collective shoulders at the very real possibility cannabis-using patients’ homes may be stormed by heavily armed police and they may be arrested and jailed.

The potential harms of jailing a chronically ill person are much more than the hysterical imagined harms of “smoked marijuana’ the SMS’ Dr. Michael Miller testi-lied about to our elected representatives on their behalf.

SMS employees retreat to spy from afar.

The SMS appears to represent the worst in modern medicine. Greed, not compassion seems to be what motivates the SMS. But on Tuesday, Wisconsin medical cannabis patients demonstrated that from now on, every action against medical cannabis by the Wisconsin State Medical Society will receive a response.

The days when Dr. Miller could show up late and mislead fawning legislators are over. No more Hit & Run, Dr. Miller! If you and the SMS want to show the world you have no compassion, you are doing an excellent job!