Dear Editor: The Obama administration's announcement that it will no longer stand in the way of state marijuana laws is great news. Under the new guidance, federal authorities will respect state laws with "strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems." Wisconsin citizens have long been far ahead of state politicians on medical cannabis and the failure to legalize medical pot has hurt the state economy and led to an exodus of citizens to the now 20 states and Washington, D.C, where medical marijuana is legal and the two states - Washington and Colorado - where adult use is also legal. [continues 178 words]
I am writing this letter in regard to legalizing medical marijuana in Wisconsin. When I read that Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the law legalizing marijuana for medical use, I literally cried. I wish Wisconsin state legislators would listen more to the people who are suffering from chronic pain and would greatly benefit from its use. I am 64 years old and have had five failed back fusions. The first was in 1989 through 1998. I now have four titanium cages, cadaver bones and fused from L3 to S1, mid-back to my tail bone. [continues 163 words]
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" - an unalienable right sought in the Declaration of Independence - is more restricted in the U.S. than in most other countries. Life is sacrificed through the death penalty at a higher rate in the U.S. than in any western democracy. Only China and five undeveloped countries exceed the U.S. in taking lives. Liberty is more restricted for Americans. The U.S. has the highest prison population rate in the world. Much U.S. incarceration involves prisoners serving long mandatory sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. [continues 166 words]
Wisconsin's Republican legislators just can't help themselves. They're always talking about how much they hate big government. But once they're in power they make government bigger by getting involved in local government matters. Now they're second-guessing local prosecutors. An under-the-radar Republican-backed bill is making its way through both houses of the state Legislature that would allow local and county governments to take up marijuana possession cases that were dismissed or were not charged by local prosecutors. Seems that DAs have not been pressing charges for very minor pot cases because they don't have the resources to pursue them and don't want to clog up the courts with nonviolent drug cases. [continues 228 words]
RACINE COUNTY - A new Illinois law allowing medical marijuana in that state could mean an influx of pot into Racine County's nearby black market. "We already see a lot of marijuana entering the local black market from medicinal states," said Sgt. Scott Krogh of the Racine County Metro Drug Unit. He explained that states with approved medical marijuana often grow more than they're allowed. The surplus ends up in states, like Wisconsin, where medical marijuana is not legally available. [continues 333 words]
Thanks for Monday's editorial, "Let them smoke pot -- for medicine." In discussing Illinois' new law, you stated the rules that regulate how much, when and how users can obtain medical cannabis are "about right." But a major flaw is the failure to include home cultivation. The people this bill is intended to help must wait until an expensive and complex production and distribution system is created. Allowing patients or caregivers to grow their own plants means immediate treatment. Home cultivation is allowed in most of the states cited in your editorial. And judging by the experiences of other states such as New Jersey, which claims to have the toughest law yet, it may take years to set up dispensaries. New Jersey has only one dispensary, and the bill was passed in 2010. [continues 72 words]
In general, we're not keen on looking to Illinois for leadership and direction on, well, almost anything. But Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn did the right thing last week when he signed into law a bill that approves medical marijuana for Illinois residents, making our neighbor to the south the 20th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize pot for medical purposes. Wisconsin should step up and do the same, an act that would give our residents who suffer from many debilitating conditions the same relief that is available now in nearly half the country. [continues 295 words]
Dear Editor: Regarding Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's July 6 column, the use of so-called synthetic marijuana is an unintended side effect of the war on natural marijuana. Consumers are turning to potentially toxic drugs made in China and sold as research chemicals before being repackaged as legal incense. Expanding the drug war will only add to the highest incarceration rate in the world. Chinese chemists will tweak formulas to stay one step ahead of the law and two steps ahead of the drug tests. New versions won't be any safer. Misguided efforts to protect children from drugs are putting children at risk. [continues 91 words]
Two freshman Republican lawmakers from Fond du Lac, Sen. Rick Gudex and Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, sponsored legislation that would find more ways to punish Wisconsinites and state visitors caught with small amounts of pot. SB 150 and AB 164 allow municipalities to prosecute marijuana cases the local district attorney has determined are not worth prosecution. There have been committee hearings in both houses with state medical cannabis and marijuana reform groups testifying against. The Assembly committee vote was 5-3 in favor on a party-line vote. [continues 140 words]
Synthetic marijuana and bath salts have attracted considerable attention recently. The increasing sale and use of these illegal substances in communities across Wisconsin is concerning to state and local law enforcement. What may be most troubling are the measures undertaken by those who attempt to manufacture these synthetics - ever so slightly altering the chemical composition in an attempt to evade prosecution. The Wisconsin Department of Justice takes the threats posed by these synthetics seriously. The attorney general's office, the Department's Division of Criminal Investigation and the State Crime Laboratory have partnered with the Legislature, the Wisconsin Controlled Substances Board and other officials to find solutions to the complex enforcement, investigative and regulatory issues presented by these substances. [continues 398 words]
It's the biggest movie of the summer. Not the biggest budget, or the biggest box office, but the most important. I'm talking about the new documentary "How to Make Money Selling Drugs," which will be released in theaters and on-demand on Wednesday. Written and directed by Matthew Cooke, and produced by Bert Marcus and Adrian Grenier, the film exposes the hypocrisy and destructiveness of the drug war at every level. The director's goal, as he put it, borrowing from Malcolm X, was to effect change "by the most entertaining means necessary." Or, as Hamlet said, "The play is the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king." Or, in this case, the public, which will in turn catch the conscience of the king. [continues 663 words]
Dave Fraser was so fed up seeing the rampant use of hard drugs by his friends and acquaintances in Sheboygan that he packed up his things, including a flower shop business, and moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Last week, he said, one of his buddies died of a heroin overdose in Menominee, Mich. "It's just as bad here, heroin, people crushing pills and snorting or injecting," Fraser said. "I guess I don't know what to do. This last week, I've been reaching out to anybody who'll listen." [continues 773 words]
I am discouraged with our legislators in office. When a representative or senator takes office, he or she is elected to serve us and speak in our stead. As a doctor is required to take continuing educational classes to stay up to date on new discoveries in medicine, our legislators need to do the same. With polls showing a majority of Americans supporting legalization of cannabis, and with 83 percent support for allowing medical marijuana, state legislators are increasingly realizing the public supports marijuana policy reforms. [continues 189 words]
I am discouraged with our legislators in office. When a representative or senator takes office, he or she is elected to serve us and speak in our stead. As a doctor is required to take continuing educational classes to stay up to date on new discoveries in medicine, our legislators need to do the same. With polls showing a majority of Americans supporting legalization of cannabis, and with 83 percent support for allowing medical marijuana, state legislators are increasingly realizing the public supports marijuana policy reforms. [continues 182 words]
Young woman's final, fatal overdose shows difficulty in overcoming addiction It's been almost a month since Lisa Marmolejo buried her little sister. Olivia Marmolejo, 21, died May 17 of an apparent drug overdose. Although investigators are still waiting for toxicology results, Lisa said she's certain heroin played a role in Olivia's death. Lisa first noticed her sister was becoming distant last summer. The track marks on her arm were an ominous warning. In August, Olivia overdosed on heroin. [continues 1933 words]
The Wisconsin Senate's Committee on Economic Development and Local Government heard feedback from interest groups and residents Wednesday morning over a bill (SB 150) that would strengthen local and county governments' grounds for prosecuting individuals who possess natural and non-prescribed synthetic marijuana. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) and Sen. Joseph Leibham (R-Sheboygan) has a companion bill in the Assembly (AB 164), which made its way through the Committee on Urban and Local Affairs last week. [continues 663 words]
Gary Storck considers medical marijuana a lifesaver. The Dane County man has been smoking it for medical problems since Oct. 3, 1972, when he was 17 years old. "I smoked some cannabis before seeing my eye doctor. He checked my pressures and they were normal that day," he said. Storck, 58, has glaucoma, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and has also had heart surgery. He uses a vaporizer to heat up marijuana until its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is released into the steam. [continues 913 words]
There is a huge racial disparity in the state, with blacks far more likely to get busted. The TV series was called "That 70s Show" even though it first aired in 1998. It was a fond remembrance of a group of Wisconsin teenagers and their parents in a Milwaukee suburb who represented both the cynicism and pride of living in the Midwest during a turbulent decade. What many remember about the adventures of Eric, Kelso, Fez, Donna, Jackie and Hyde was a launching pad for future movie careers for some individual actors. Others may remember the infamous "smoke circle" that seemed like edgy television for the time even though it was undeniably familiar for those who grew up in the '70s. [continues 605 words]
Marijuana has become the drug of choice for police departments nationwide - a trend that is playing out with serious consequences here in Brown County. According to a new report released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union, police have turned much of their zeal for fighting the failed War on Drugs toward the enforcement of marijuana laws in communities across Wisconsin and the country. In 2010, cops in Wisconsin busted someone for having marijuana once every 28 minutes. The majority of these arrests are happening in communities of color. Despite roughly comparable usage rates, blacks in Wisconsin are nearly six times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession. [continues 326 words]
Inside Wisconsin
