On Monday, November 16, 2009, AB554/SB368, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act (JRMMA) will take another huge step forward when bill sponsors Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) formally announce the introduction of their legislation at a State Capitol press conference.
Scheduled for 11:30am in the Capitol’s ornate Senate Parlor, the event will also feature the JRMMA namesake, IMMLY Founder Jacki Rickert, and IMMLY director of communications, Gary Storck. Both Rickert and Storck are long time advocates for medical cannabis in Wisconsin. Also in attendance will be Wisconsin patients who support medical cannabis as well as representatives of health care and community groups that support the JRMMA.
While the Wisconsin Legislature passed the Therapeutic Cannabis Research Act in 1981, and then-Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus signed it into law in 1982, it never reached its potential. While 30 plus US states passed similar laws, the federal government refused to share its monopoly on legal medical marijuana supplies, rendering the laws symbolic. Attempts to pass a comprehensive law died in committee every session from 1997 to 2008. It was only after a change in legislative leadership in Wisconsin in the Nov. 2008 elections that the JRMMA was able to progress to the point where it has strong support in the Legislature and a good chance of passage.
Information about public hearings is also expected to be revealed at Monday’s press conference. For updates on the progress of the JRMMA, watch this column, and to learn more on how to help pass the JRMMA, visit MadisonNORML.org, JRMMA.org and IMMLY.org.
Comments
pulling for you from Iowa G-Man......
wisconsin needs this.
{JRMMA} NEEDS TO PASS HOW MANY MORE HAVE TO SUFFER?
MYSELF BEING ONE OF THE SUFFERERS!
I don't know what these legislators are thinking trying to pass a "Medical" marijuana law. I mean lets get rid of all the red tape here, Wisconsin people like to get high like everybody else in the world. I feel for the cancer patients and what not, but lets get serious here, we all like smoking pot and will continue to do so regardless of any laws passed, Medical or not. The state needs to drop the taboo on weed and just decriminalize it. Truth be told all the people who drink will drink, and all who smoke pot will continue to smoke pot and all the state is doing by not legalizing it is losing out on TONS AND TONS of tax money. Crime WILL decrease, the economy will get a boost from people spending money @ Mcdonalds...etc. It's a complete Win,win,win,win, Situation for everybody...And to all you naysayers, what you can go to the bar and get sloshed every friday night but what, you look down on me because I like to get high? How dare you...
As a physician, I've seen people with end-stage kidney and liver disease, and on chemotherapy or with end-stage cancer, get more over-all discomfort relief with marijuana than with pain medicine. It hits different receptors. I don't want to see people driving high any more than drunk driving. But there is more to pain than the opiate mu receptors. Marijuana can help, and less bad effects than alcohol.
There are a lot of people who will benefit from this. I do not use drugs or alcohol of any kind, but I have heard and read enough to say that I agree 150% that medical marijuana should be legalized! Wisconsin is in debt how many billions of dollars? Don't legislators think this will help? Think again guys..it will help us and help A LOT of patients too! Docs can hand out bottles of pills..man made..what about God made pain meds?
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