Wisconsin Did Not Pass :(

[Ian]

http://badgerherald.com/news/2010/04/22/medical_marijuana_un.php

 

The controversial medical marijuana bill that has gained much support over the last few months will not be passed this session, according to government officials.

 

The office of Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, confirmed the bill would not be placed on the calendar for the Legislature. Pocan is one of the main sponsors of the Assembly bill, which would allow qualifying patients with debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of their condition.

 

“It is disappointing to many of us, myself included, that the Legislature did not pass medical marijuana this session. But as I have assured the patient advocates, our efforts enjoyed many successes this year and we came closer to our goal than ever before,” Pocan said in a statement. “This fight is far from over because this issue is far too vital for too many people.”

 

The last day of the regular legislative session is Thursday. However, there will be limited sessions the first week of May.

 

Gary Storck, president of Wisconsin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he was very disappointed the bill would not be moving forward because they had a lot of hope that it would get done this session.

 

NORML will be working this summer to get referendums on local ballots on this issue across the state, Storck added, and will be getting signatures and organizers working to get the word out to more people.

 

“There’s a lot of people in the Legislature who just don’t get it,” Storck said. “We’ve come to the conclusion that if you can’t change the law, maybe you have to change the Legislature.”

 

Storck added the movement supporting medical marijuana has grown significantly in the past couple months and has reached a level of activism not seen before.

 

Storck speculated many legislators may be hesitant to support the bill because they have false perceptions about the drug’s dangers. He added many legal pharmaceutical drugs are much more harmful than marijuana.

 

“[Legislators have] been so brainwashed that marijuana is some kind of dangerous, illegal drug, that it’s hard for them to think outside the box,” Storck said. “Cannabis won’t kill you; it won’t cause permanent damage. It’s definitely something that should be out there.”

 

Mark Grapentine, senior vice president of government relations of the Wisconsin Medical Society, said they care deeply about people who are suffering, but medical marijuana is not the best treatment option and the organization does not support the bill.

 

Although they understand some people would like to embrace anything that seems helpful, what is most important is that any medicine a patient takes is safe, effective and has as few side effects as possible, he said. The state Legislature is not the appropriate body to be making that decision about marijuana.

 

“We don’t believe anything you can just grow in your backyard … is really the best way to go in terms of advancing the science,” Grapentine said. “We completely understand the desire for those who are suffering to find a way to alleviate that suffering, but you can’t just skip steps in science and expect the best result.”

[a10helicopter]

Very sad news,

 

 

Sorry to hear,

 

Thanks for sharing

[kruztydj]

Boy I'm DAM glad I dont live in that cheese head state.Idoits

[Marijuana Ranch]

420Peace Wisconsin,

 

If you want Medical Marijuana.

Do not wait for politicians... like the last 75+ years

Put it on the Ballot.

Then

Smoke the Vote!

[bobandtorey]

http://badgerherald....arijuana_un.php

 

The controversial medical marijuana bill that has gained much support over the last few months will not be passed this session, according to government officials.

 

The office of Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, confirmed the bill would not be placed on the calendar for the Legislature. Pocan is one of the main sponsors of the Assembly bill, which would allow qualifying patients with debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of their condition.

 

“It is disappointing to many of us, myself included, that the Legislature did not pass medical marijuana this session. But as I have assured the patient advocates, our efforts enjoyed many successes this year and we came closer to our goal than ever before,” Pocan said in a statement. “This fight is far from over because this issue is far too vital for too many people.”

 

The last day of the regular legislative session is Thursday. However, there will be limited sessions the first week of May.

 

Gary Storck, president of Wisconsin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he was very disappointed the bill would not be moving forward because they had a lot of hope that it would get done this session.

 

NORML will be working this summer to get referendums on local ballots on this issue across the state, Storck added, and will be getting signatures and organizers working to get the word out to more people.

 

“There’s a lot of people in the Legislature who just don’t get it,” Storck said. “We’ve come to the conclusion that if you can’t change the law, maybe you have to change the Legislature.”

 

Storck added the movement supporting medical marijuana has grown significantly in the past couple months and has reached a level of activism not seen before.

 

Storck speculated many legislators may be hesitant to support the bill because they have false perceptions about the drug’s dangers. He added many legal pharmaceutical drugs are much more harmful than marijuana.

 

“[Legislators have] been so brainwashed that marijuana is some kind of dangerous, illegal drug, that it’s hard for them to think outside the box,” Storck said. “Cannabis won’t kill you; it won’t cause permanent damage. It’s definitely something that should be out there.”

 

Mark Grapentine, senior vice president of government relations of the Wisconsin Medical Society, said they care deeply about people who are suffering, but medical marijuana is not the best treatment option and the organization does not support the bill.

 

Although they understand some people would like to embrace anything that seems helpful, what is most important is that any medicine a patient takes is safe, effective and has as few side effects as possible, he said. The state Legislature is not the appropriate body to be making that decision about marijuana.

 

“We don’t believe anything you can just grow in your backyard … is really the best way to go in terms of advancing the science,” Grapentine said. “We completely understand the desire for those who are suffering to find a way to alleviate that suffering, but you can’t just skip steps in science and expect the best result.”

 

Sad day thanks for the post what can we do here to help them get this i was so hopeing it would pass for them

[Kevin]

How do they know what's the best medicine and treatment option for a patient? They know squat.

 

They say, 'what is most important is that any medicine a patient takes is safe, effective and has as few side effects as possible,'...ya...like the pharm poisons that are on tv every 2nd commercial. Safe and effective. Right.

 

Condolences to our friends in WI.

[+kurt klaas]

It is stated, "Although they understand some people would like to embrace anything that seems helpful, what is most important is that any medicine a patient takes is safe, effective and has as few side effects as possible, he said. The state Legislature is not the appropriate body to be making that decision about marijuana."

 

I joined the cause in part because of the incredible injustice against mmj and those it helps. Scientific research has already proven that very statement!!!!!!!!!!!! What incredible ignorance, or possibly deception, the opposition displays. My stance is that, yes, we in the mmj community need to admit that mj is a highly unorthodox form of medicine that falls completely outside what the normal standards are for medicine in the professional medical community. And what our opponents need to admit is that this highly unusual form of medicine, because of the science that shows it's both effective and safe--with far less severe side-effects than many meds--should be accepted as the one medicine that legitimately breaks the standard rules of how it is made and used. Truth sets people free. Lies keep them imprisoned. I want to be as free as I can. What I think is going on below the surface of our opponent's arguments is this: many people are very fearful of altered states of consciousness. MJ induces an altered state of consciouseness as a side-effect. But we know that it's nothing to fear.

 

Kurt

[Rashore]

ok, ugh, effing doctor....

 

“We don’t believe anything you can just grow in your backyard … is really the best way to go in terms of advancing the science,”

Translation: "We don't believe that anything that does not make our industry money by being under our control.... is really the best way to go in terms of advancing our partners (pharmaceutical companies) pocketbooks"

 

"what is most important is that any medicine a patient takes is safe, effective and has as few side effects as possible" and " you can’t just skip steps in science and expect the best result.”

Who's skipping steps? If science went out and asked, it has a 40+ year pool of "test" subjects that have been using mj safely and without (many) side negative effects and a list of benifits. Yet science seems to time and again release chemicals that have side effects as bad as or worse than what they are supposed to treat. (like asthma meds that may cause a fatal asthma attack, wtf?) And skipped steps in long term usage of some of them have resulted in products pulled off shelves and companies getting their asses sued off.

A frightening site of recalls FDA recalls list It has food and medical, but you can view just medical.

And an older list of just drugs FDA drug recall history

 

IMHO if mj was a legally available component to the pharmaceutical companies arsenal in a way that they could get exclusive rights (and thus monies) to, every one of them would have a lobbyist screaming for it. If that companies drug reps doled out the right perks, the medical professionals would be a-ok with handing the stuff out. A lot of folk just seem happier if their drugs come compressed in a pleasing marketable form for a chunk of change.

 

Sorry for getting sassy, it irked me, lol If it all sounds a little conspiracy-ish, I didn't mean it that way

[Fantasy.Farm]

Wisconsin is not like Michigan & California and can have it put on the ballot to vote trhe will of the people and have to depend on the politicians hopefully in the way of the will of the people which only dragged their feet till the session ran out ... But Gary Storck has some plans to come on strong with another angle ..

[Ian]

It is stated, "Although they understand some people would like to embrace anything that seems helpful, what is most important is that any medicine a patient takes is safe, effective and has as few side effects as possible, he said. The state Legislature is not the appropriate body to be making that decision about marijuana."

 

I joined the cause in part because of the incredible injustice against mmj and those it helps. Scientific research has already proven that very statement!!!!!!!!!!!! What incredible ignorance, or possibly deception, the opposition displays. My stance is that, yes, we in the mmj community need to admit that mj is a highly unorthodox form of medicine that falls completely outside what the normal standards are for medicine in the professional medical community. And what our opponents need to admit is that this highly unusual form of medicine, because of the science that shows it's both effective and safe--with far less severe side-effects than many meds--should be accepted as the one medicine that legitimately breaks the standard rules of how it is made and used. Truth sets people free. Lies keep them imprisoned. I want to be as free as I can. What I think is going on below the surface of our opponent's arguments is this: many people are very fearful of altered states of consciousness. MJ induces an altered state of consciouseness as a side-effect. But we know that it's nothing to fear.

 

Kurt

 

I agree with you Kurt, I feel the "side effects" are what gov feared most = FREE THINKERS. We all know what happened during world war 2: Prior was "Hemp for Victory" .. soon after government believed that the protests against the war held by the people (hippies)were directly related to cannabis and the free thinkers it created. The Gov thought the best way to stop the protests was to stop the free thinkers and arrest them for smoking cannabis. Cannabis prohibition had nothing to do with health of the people, it had everything to do with gagging the out spoken free thinking public.

 

Regards

Ian

[Fantasy.Farm]

Hopefully the new way Gary is hitting the angle and will see Wisconsin the next state to show compassion but with no help from the politians ..

[Guest Marywanna]

They are all fence-sitters because this is a voting year.

[LITLJON]

http://badgerherald.com/news/2010/04/22/medical_marijuana_un.php

 

“We don’t believe anything you can just grow in your backyard … is really the best way to go in terms of advancing the science,” Grapentine said. “We completely understand the desire for those who are suffering to find a way to alleviate that suffering, but you can’t just skip steps in science and expect the best result.”

 

 

Aspirin may be the best-known pharmaceutical of modern times, but its effective ingredient is not new to herbalists. Natural salicylates have probably been used as painkillers since the Stone Age. They are one of the oldest remedies, occurring naturally in trees, shrubs, and fruit. Their pain-relieving properties were known on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. North American natives used them for headache, fever, and lumbago. Europeans made a tea from the bark of white willow to relieve pain. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, made a powder to treat pain, fever, and the pangs of childbirth

 

 

 

Read more at Suite101: Willow, the Aspirin Tree

[dutch&Dutchess]

Grapentine speaking like a true pharmaceutical company shill. He has a future with them I am sure.

[greenbuddha]

420Peace Wisconsin,

 

If you want Medical Marijuana.

Do not wait for politicians... like the last 75+ years

Put it on the Ballot.

Then

Smoke the Vote!

 

Ranch, I certainly agree.

 

If you want anything that might make sense passed into law you HAVE to bypass the politician boneheads and go to a direct vote of the 'people'.

 

Otherwise the 'issue' stays locked into the 'money machine' that our 'law enforcement' and 'government / political processes have become and unless those groups can put some money into their own pockets you won't get anything done in terms of changing the 'law'.

 

Good old America ain't what it used to be.

[Fantasy.Farm]

Well the way Wisconsin laws are set up you are not able to bypass the politians like Michigan has and Gary Stork is getting things set up to get signatures on each county by county but this is not possable as of yet to vote statewide like Michigan . But @ least places like Madison are ready to break the ice ..

[Kingpinn]

If they the cheeze heads cant bypass the bad guys( Gateway Drug People) then they will never see medical marijuana

[Fantasy.Farm]

Now your getting it ..

[Rashore]

Hey... they got cheese, brats, and beer... what else do they need? :jipo:

 

Seriously, this still makes me kind of mad. And no, the voters don't always get their way. Look at the Brewer stadium tax... Every single person I know voted against it (even the hardcore fans), and yet Racine county still got hit with the tax increase.

But stuff is kind of different in Wi... I bet everyone feels that way about their home state, but it's true.

[Fantasy.Farm]

Well it's not the >> cheeseheads << that are holding it up cause polls show clearly over 80% think cannabis should be legal for medical use but it's the cheesehead politician's that are holding the cheeseheads in bondage so yea other then being loaded up with all the cheese and brat's to throw down with would also be nice if everybody in every state enjoy the chance to live free & choose their own medicine as other states do ..