Wisconsin State Capitol.
MADISON: A historic combined Assembly/Senate health committee public hearing of the Wisconsin State Legislature will commence at 10 am on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 in Room 412 East of the State Capitol for Wisconsin's Jacki Rickert MMJ Act (JRMMA).
While the forecast calls for cool temperatures outside, the chances of medical cannabis testimony inside will be 100% when the hearing convenes. The combined hearing will be held by two Wisconsin State Legislature Committees: the Assembly Committee on Public Health and the Senate Committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue The JRMMA, Assembly Bill 554/Senate Bill 368), is sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee).
This hearing is notable in that it is a combined committee hearing on a medical marijuana bill, the likes of which has either never been seen before at the Capitol or perhaps just not seen in over 3 decades. Either way it is looking to be the largest public hearing on medical cannabis ever held at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
The hearing room reflects that. Room 412 East is the Joint Finance Committee hearing room. It is one of the Capitol's largest hearing rooms, spacious with modern accoutrements. Patients in wheelchairs and on scooters should find navigation easy in the large room.
While the hearing will follow the usual practice of alternating for and against positions, if this hearing is like prior ones, there will only be a handful speaking against. Among those is expected to be a representative of the State Medical Society. That person will likely be Dr. Michael Miller. Read his testimony from 8 years ago here, where he said “smoked marijuana” 19 times in just a few minutes. Here’s what Dr. Miller said when asked about research on medical cannabis in April 2001:
I would tend to think, I'm not personally familiar with the research, but I would tend to think it's certainly more a matter of years than months, so in order to, you know, run the studies, look at the outcomes, analyze the results etc., I don't think its going to be in the next 12 months, but I'm really not an expert to testify on the status of the research and you know the…-- Testimony of Dr. Michael M. Miller, representing the State Medical Society, at Informational Hearing on Medical Marijuana of State Affairs Committee on April 10, 2001.
JRMMA sponsors Sen. Erpenbach and Rep. Pocan will be among those testifying in support, as will IMMLY’s Jacki Rickert and Gary Storck. Numerous Wisconsin patients currently using medical cannabis or wishing to will also be speaking or submitting written testimony. Patients with ehlers-danlos syndrome, glaucoma, paraplegia, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disk disease, diabetes, post-polio syndrome, cancer, muscular dystrophy, chronic pain, Crohn's disease, neuropathic pain, AIDS, Hepatitis C, and seizure disorders are among those planning to testify.
Among national experts scheduled to attend is Mary Lynn Mathre of Patients Out of Time, Mathre is a nurse who specializes in addiction as well as President and co-founder of the group, which holds an accredited National Conference on Therapeutic Cannabis every two years.
Representatives of state groups supporting the bill including Hospice Organizations and Palliative Experts (HOPE), the Wisconsin Nurses Association, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW) and the ACLU of Wisconsin are also expected to offer testimony.
While testimony will be taken at the hearing by the committees, the actual committee votes will come later when the committees meet in executive session.
For more info: List of qualifying medical conditions included in the JRMMA. For additional details on the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, the Dec. 15 combined Health committee hearing, and how to submit testimony, bill text and status, all the latest news and how you can help, visit JRMMA.org, IMMLY.org or MadisonNORML.org. Visit my Madison NORML Examiner articles archive. Photo courtesy of IMMLY. Wisconsin Eye is expected to stream live video of the hearings live online as well as archive it for future viewing. Watch video of Nov. 16 press conference on Wisconsin Eye: 11.16.09 | News Conference: Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act
Comments
Almost twenty years ago, Ms. Rickert was fully approved by the federal government bureaucracy to receive cannabis cigarettes directly from the government itself, under the compassionate use provisions of the Investigative New Drugs program. Her doctor had successfully filed all the paperwork.
Yet she never received the promised legal supply of cannabis---an herb which gives her relief from her severe brittle-bone type of degenerative disease.
Yes, for political reasons, namely, to "send a message" that "marijuana is dangerous," President George H. W. Bush used his executive power to throttle the government's own compassionate program.
Then Bill "I didn't inhale" Clinton took office. On the campaign trail, Clinton had met Jacki and personally promised she would get her medicine. The liar broke his promise, and kept the program shut down. As did Junior Bush.
President Barack "I did inhale" Obama wants to dodge the issue, so now it's up to the states to "send a messa
(continued)
. . . to "send a message."
NOTE: The character counter on my previous comment said I had it all in there . . . but you see what happened.
"I'm not personally familiar with the research, but I would tend to think it's certainly more a matter of years than months, so in order to, you know, run the studies, look at the outcomes, analyze the results etc.,"
Someone PLEASE send the good doctor a copy of "Granny Storm Crow's list- July 2009" to show him that the studies HAVE been run! He needs the education! I think 120 pages of links to MMJ studies should be enough evidence to convince him. Yes, 120 pages of links might show him the research is there, but some doctors take a LOT of convincing. You might want to run the search, too, to educate yourself about cannabis. It treats an amazing number of ailments, with far fewer unpleasant side effects than pharmaceutical drugs.
Cannabis is not physically addictive. Its main side effect is "feeling good". It has never killed by overdose. It has a very wide spectrum of uses. You can grow your own for pennies. Why is it still illegal?
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