Three More Suspected Overdoses Locally Last Weekend Three people died of suspected heroin overdoses within 72 hours last weekend. According to Kenosha County Medical Examiner Patrice Hall, two men and one woman died of suspected heroin overdoses. The causes of the deaths still need to be confirmed by toxicology, she said. "When you have three potential overdose deaths over the course of a 72-hour period, that's alarming," Hall said. Hall would release little detail on the deaths as the cases are still under investigation. However, she said two of the deaths occurred in the city of Kenosha and one in Twin Lakes. The victims were in their 30s and 40s, she said. [continues 396 words]
Child Who Inspired Movement for Cannabis-Based Treatment Dies in Her Sleep Though Sally Schaeffer and her family were successful in legalizing a new form of treatment for seizure sufferers, the change in law did not come in time to help daughter Lydia Schaeffer. The 7-year-old whose Burlington-based family became the de facto face of cannabidiol legislation in Wisconsin died in her sleep early Sunday morning. Lydia's story was featured in local and national media because of Sally's efforts to get a new, marijuana-based seizure treatment legalized in Wisconsin. [continues 451 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]
Dear Amy: This past weekend I attended a large cocktail party with a group of new friends. At this party some of the other guests were smoking marijuana and doing other illegal drugs. I recognized one of the drug users as an elementary teacher at my daughter's school. Because the school is large, I doubt the teacher recognized me. My daughter is not in her class. I know this teacher has tenure because she has been at the school for a long time. [continues 680 words]
Our federal government has set a precedence showing that cannabis is medicinal. The Federal Medical Marijuana program has not only shown that cannabis works but that it's a safe and effective medicine. The federal government sends out several thousand pre-rolled joints every couple of months to the few medical marijuana patients still enrolled in the program. It is urgent that we all show compassion for those seriously ill patients being mistreated by our government and denied safe access to medicinal marijuana. [continues 66 words]
As a rule, political disputes feature conflicting positions that are obviously or at least arguably rational. There are, however, exceptions. A particularly striking illustration of an exception to the rule is provided by the dispute over medical marijuana laws. Currently, eight states feature laws that allow physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients to relieve pain from conditions ranging from glaucoma to cancer to AIDS. The federal government in general, and the Bush administration in particular, has taken the position that since there is no federal law permitting doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes, people who supply or possess marijuana legally under state laws for medical purposes should be prosecuted under federal law. This is not a rational defensible position. [continues 500 words]
Kenosha - Two 15 year old Bradford High School students were caught Monday morning with marijuana in their possession. The marijuana, found inside the coat pocket of one of the boys, weighed 2.1 grams. The police officer planned to let the school discipline them and to arrest them later via summons and complaint. One of the boys was charged with possession in another incident. [end]
It's official, Another year has come and gone with no resolution toward solving the ailments of those in need of medical marijuana. On March 14 the only chance that medical marijuana patients had was shot down when Assembly Bill 715 died in the committee on criminal justice without a hearing or a vote. Politicians will continuously seek out the arrest and prosecution of those who use medical marijuana in Wisconsin. Those that fear prosecution and being labeled as criminals and drug dealers will only continue to suffer. [continues 89 words]
New York - Mayor Michael Bloomberg's election year comment that he had not only tried marijuana but liked it is heading for wider distribution - although he wishes it wasn't so. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Foundation, or NORML, plans to invoke the mayor one-time praise for pot in the a $500,000 pro-decriminalization print ad campaign. Bloomberg was still a mayoral candidate when New York Magazine last year ask him whether he had ever inhaled from a marijuana joint. [continues 51 words]
