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Dr. Michael Miller testifies for SMS.

Madison: At the Dec. 15 combined committee hearing on AB554/SB368, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, support from health care professionals, particularly those who treat patients in real pain or represent professions that do, was strong. This was evident to those attending the hearing and to those viewing it on Wisconsin Eye.

Unfortunately, the representative of the Wisconsin State Medical Society (SMS), Dr. Michael Miller, an addiction specialist with a lucrative practice treating people involuntarily referred for counseling after detection of marijuana use, was not among those supporting the JRMMA Dec. 15.

But even Dr. Miller's on record opposition on behalf of the SMS to the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act was tempered by statements he made. As to "gateway drugs", Dr. Miller identified tobacco, a legal substance, as the number one gateway drug. He also acknowledged not only had SMS members not been polled as to whether they supported the JRMMA, but if they were, "you might get a lot of members saying yes".

Miller did not elaborate on why the Society did not poll members before sending him to oppose the JRMMA on their behalf. Miller also offered no indication why the SMS felt it appropriate to send a representative skilled in the area of addictions rather than one who might actually approach medical use from the benefits it could provide to patients with cancer, chronic pain, AIDS, multiple sclerosis or any of the debilitating conditions and treatments included in the JRMMA.

Dr. Michael Wolkomir

A little later, the committees heard from Dr. Michael Wolkomir of Barneveld, a Wisconsin board certified family medicine physician and State Medical Society member in practice since 1971. Dr. Wolkomir spoke in support of the JRMMA, describing how legal access to medical cannabis would benefit his patients.

Dr. Wolkomir testified that marijuana is "a useful adjutant medicine and safest for many problems". He further noted cannabis could help reduce the use of stronger opiates like Oxycontin, Vicodin and morphine if used in conjunction with milder analgesics. Dr. Wolkomir also termed Marinol and Sativex, “expensive and less complete agents inferior to the natural product”. He also noted he had practiced in Ontario Canada and cited positive findings of Canada’s COMPASS study on medical cannabis.

Mary Lynn Mathre

Mary Lynn Mathre, an nurse with a specialty in addictions and the President and co-founder of the medical cannabis group Patients Out of Time, addressed many of Dr. Miller's contentions. She also invited SMS members and others to attend Patients Out of Time's next conference in Rhode Island in April 2010. Mathre also testified as to the strong support in not only the nursing community, but the medical world in general documented by their list of organizations supporting the therapeutic use of cannabis.

Karen Carrig, a nurse with HOPE of Wisconsin, touted the JRMMA and how it would help hospice workers by offering protection for patients and hospice staff, as well as offering a safe supply source. Education opportunities would allow more chances to speak about the use of vaporization, edibles, tinctures or other alternatives to smoking. She also acknowledged that some patients do not respond to narcotics or the side effects are intolerable, like nausea, vomiting, constipation, even hallucinations. Carrig explained that cannabis could also replace more dangerous medications for neuropathic pain, like methadone. She said hospice “would be intimately involved and look forward to” helping to implement the JRMMA by educating the treatment team, patients and families and utilizing cannabis as an adjunct to other legal therapies.

Gina Dennik-Champion, Executive Director of Wisconsin Nurses Association, testified that she has heard many stories of the benefits of medical cannabis from nurses directly involved in patient care. She testified that nurses don’t want to see patients in pain and if cannabis works so be it, patients should have legal protection. Dennik-Champion also urged the committees to expand the JRMMA’s list of those legally authorized to certify patients are undergoing debilitating medical condition or treatments to include nurse prescribers, who already prescribe a wide range of medications under state law. The WNA formally went on record supporting legal access and asking the governor and state lawmakers to pass medical marijuana legislation over a decade ago.

For more info: List of qualifying medical conditions included in the JRMMA. Jacki Rickert MMJ Act Hearing Recap & Action Alert. For additional details on the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, info on the Dec. 15 combined Health committee hearing, 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.  Photos courtesy of IMMLY's friends.