Wisconsin legislators using flawed Medical Society testimony as shield against supporting MMJ bill

Dr. Miller weaves some stories

MADISON: With over eight hours of testimony, Wisconsin's historic Dec. 15, 2009 combined medical marijuana committee hearing continues to offer new insights.

I've been examining testimony from the Wisconsin State Medical Society presented by addiction specialist Dr. Michael Miller against AB554/SB368 the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act on Dec. 15..The JRMMA is sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee).

In the clip below, Dr. Miller asks opponents for "respect" before delivering an icy cold State Medical Society position that basically says, on behalf of the state's doctors, "We know people in pain need it, but this isn't the right way so suffer and die, because we oppose it". I frequently hear reports of oncologists and other cancer specialists suggesting patients use cannabis for nausea. I recently heard of an instance where a physician declined a request fior Marinol, the synthetic THC legally available by prescription, and instead suggested they use cannabis! But rather than send a representative who treats cancer patients or pain patients, the Medical Society sent an addiction specialist to testify against a bill that would protect Society member's patients against arrest and jail and provide safe access. Has the SMS consideered the health benefits of arresting and jailing the sick and dying?

Earlier, Miller acknowledged not only did the Society not polli its members  but also that many support medical marijuana. So a tiny minority of doctors from a group that represents less than half of state doctors becomes the gold standard that legislators use to justify not supportinmg the bill?

In the clip below from the hearing, Dr. Miller, an ardent opponent of smoking cannabis, acknowledges that he knows little about the concept of vaporization. Vaporization does not produce carcinogens or toxins. While being willfully ignorant of alternative delivery systems other than the commercially produced pharmaceutical Sativex, which is not yet approved in the US, Miller focuses only on the supposed harms of smoking. However, those claims have been debunked by Dr. Tashkin's decades of study and conclusions. So, Dr. Miller is peddling old information and a yet to be approved expensive cannabinoid spray over a safe delivery system usable with herbal cannabis by patients right now!

It gets to be hard to tell if he is representing the makers of Sativex or the Wisconsin State Medical Society. But any good salesman knows the ins and outs of the products he is pitching. Dr. Miller clearly does not, whether it is Sativex or the bankrupt mentality that criminalizes the sick and dying for their choice of medicine, with the full support of the State Medical Society. Does the Legislature represent a small closed society or the people of our state?

In another clip from the hearing, still in Sativex pitchman mode, he demonstrates he hasn't even bothered to learn what is in Sativex and what is not. And state lawmakers are using Dr. Miller's testimony as a shield to tell patients they can't have legal access to the medicine that works best for them?

Dr. Miller shows time and time again he is lazy and just not credible. Cowardly lawmakers looking for a reason to vote against their constituents lap it up. All in a day's work, I guess. And patients? Those who can afford it are leaving for safer, greener pastures in the 14 legal US states, or still looking over their shoulders, some are being arrested and more going without their medicine. Lawmakers need to start listening to patients, unbiased health care professionals and the facts instead of special interests who want to harm patients by forcing them to use toxic pharmaceuticals over natural herbal cannabis.