Dr. Miller: "a font of misinformation".
MADISON: With eight hours of testimony from both supporters and the few opponents as well as comments from legislators, the video record of the Combined Health Committee hearing on Dec. 15, 2009 offers many opportunities to examine how people look at the issue of medical cannabis.
One of the most widely reported moments in the hearing came when Rep. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) "cut to the chase," as she called it as she accused the JRMMA's sponsors, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee) of using sick and dying patients as "shields" in their quest to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin. Watch the video of how her outburst drew jeers and boos:
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, in an editorial written shortly after the hearing, "Not About 'Getting High'" (18 Dec 2009) commented on the harsh positions of opponents, saying of Rep. Leah Vukmir:.
Rep. Leah Vukmir ( R-Wauwatosa ) said she believes this to be the vanguard for legalizing all marijuana.
(snip)
On Vukmir's point, we would note that the nation has essentially decriminalized possession of small amounts. This being the case, it makes no sense to deny it to people with ailments for whom medical marijuana can supply relief when alternatives won't, as cheaply or as efficiently.
The editorial also discussed the position put forth by the State Medical Society's Dr. Michael Miller, an addiction doctor with a longstanding history of bias against medical cannabis.
And the Wisconsin Medical Society raised concerns that a bill allowing medical marijuana does an end-run on science and safety because the federal Food and Drug Administration has not given its approval to it as a medicine. Michael Miller, a physician, told lawmakers that THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, is available synthetically in pill form, Marinol.
(snip)
And Marinol, according to testimony offered by Daniel N. Abrahamson, legal affairs director for the Drug Policy Alliance, is an unsatisfactory alternative for many people. It's expensive, many suffering from nausea can't hold it down and it works more slowly than medical marijuana when smoked.
Dr. Miller, in this video clip, discusses Marinol and Sativex, getting key details wrong answering a fawning leading question from Rep. Patricia Strachota (R-West Bend). Miller then also goes on to liken smoking cannabis to smoking crack cocaine demonstrating reefer madness is alive and well at the Wisconsin Medical Society, Miller in his obsession with smoking, refuses to acknowledge vaporization or other means of ingestion. He also ignores science that proves there is no cancer or COPD link from cannabis smoking, and in fact, that cannabis instead actually kills tumors..And he fails to offfer any discussion of the medical benefits of arresting sick people or their caregivers for smoking pot.
The continuing opposition of both the State Medical Society as well as the Legislature's Republican leadership is particularly puzzling in light of a new scientific nationwide ABC poll finding not only that 81% of Americans nationwide support legalizing medical marijuana, but that 75% of Republicans surveyed do.
As of this writing, Wisconsin Republican legislators continue to be very shy about supporting, much less saying they would vote for, the JRMMA. The poll findings mean that 75% of Republican constituents disagree with Wisconsin GOP legislators' positions opposing the JRMMA. Why the huge disconnect?
Comments
What's puzzling to me is how stubborn a person can be to either read the studies and research put in front of them, nor acknowledge them once read. Are they still clinging on to the old argument of the past century that eggs are unhealthy? No wait, a new study says they're healthy, no wait, a new one says they aren't? No wait, they are. Honestly, for someone who is probably on either depression meds, Ambien, or some other O/C Drug, you'd think that when something as natural as a cannibis plant can provide better relief for certain patients than more harmful lab-made chemicals, they'd be a little open minded about it. It just boils down to how stubborn, closed-minded, and hypocritical the GOP is. And how they feel it's a career-decision. Stop focusing on your political career and do what's right for the people of this state. It may even be your son or daughter.
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