CHICAGO - The historic hub of black culture on the south side of Chicago called Bronzeville bears the marks of disinvestment common to many of the city's black-majority neighborhoods.

Along the expansive South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, lines of greystones alternate in and out of disrepair, and many of the district's blocks that were once home to vibrant institutions - earning it the name "Black Metropolis" - are now mottled with overgrown, vacant lots. A census tract within the area is one of the poorest in the city.

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America's opioid epidemic is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. From 2000 to 2015, over half-a-million Americans died of opioid abuse and overdose. Ninety-one Americans die every single day for the same reasons.

While illegal drugs like heroin have contributed greatly to this epidemic, prescription opioids are the leading cause of overdose and death for Americans suffering from opioid addiction.

Since 1999, the amount of prescribed opioids in the United States has nearly quadrupled without a meaningful change in the actual amount of pain that Americans report to their doctors. In Wisconsin, the rate of opioid-related deaths has nearly doubled between 2006 and 2015, from 5.9 deaths per 100,000 residents to 10.7 deaths per 100,000.

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Thanks for the June 2 editorial, "Possession penalties are too harsh."

While any discussion about reforming Wisconsin's draconian marijuana laws is certainly welcome, decriminalization is an old idea that still leaves out a legal source for pot.

As your editorial noted, eight states have already legalized pot for adult use. More states are currently in the process. Our neighbors Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota, which already have medical marijuana, are all exploring legalizing adult use.

Wisconsin is ready, too. The July 2016 Marquette Law School Poll found 59 percent favoring legal pot for adults. Wisconsinites also have long supported medical use by even higher margins. Yet failure to "get it done" has cost Wisconsin at lot.

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MANITOWOC - A listening session hosted by State Rep. Paul Tittl, R-Manitowoc, and Republican State Sen. Devin LeMahieu Monday was dominated by talks of legalizing medical marijuana.

Out of the 25 attendees to Monday's listening session, nine people voiced their support of legalizing medical marijuana in the state. Many cited mental health issues they believed would be better treated with cannabis oil than with pharmaceuticals. "It seems there is a numerous amount of people interested in passing medical marijuana in the State of Wisconsin," Tittl said. "I think it is to the point where we should have the conversation -- I'm not saying whether I am for it or against it -- but I think more information does need to come out on both sides."

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Medical marijuana use should be legal in Wisconsin.

Twenty-eight states -- Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Ohio joined in November -- and the District of Columbia allow for such use. California was the first to legalize medical marijuana 11 years ago.

There are signs that Wisconsin may eventually adopt that stance. Although Republicans in the state often have opposed such measures, The Associated Press reported that state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, is circulating a bill that would make possessing a marijuana extract used to prevent seizures legal with a doctor's certification.

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Dear Editor: Gov. Scott Walker indicated in a recent interview that he believes the only medical use from the cannabis plant is limited to just one cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), and only for use for childhood seizure disorders that don't respond to conventional treatments.

Medical marijuana isn't needed according to "Dr." Walker, because "studies show medically there are much more viable alternatives within the health care community."

The health care community might beg to differ, having produced more than 22,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids. Marijuana has been studied more than 85-90 percent of prescription medications.

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A marijuana advocacy group has revived an effort to drastically reduce penalties for being caught with the drug in Monona.

Members of the Madison chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) are circulating a petition that supports reducing municipal fines for pot possession to $1 in hopes of placing a binding referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Since mid-May, the group has gathered signatures to try to force action under the state's direct legislation law after a similar ordinance change was narrowly defeated by the city's Public Safety Commission earlier this year.

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Surprise and disappointment have turned to a unique history-making opportunity for a group of people wanting a $1 fine for possession of marijuana in Monona.

Members of Madison NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), led by President Nate Petreman of Monona, are collecting signatures to force the issue to a binding direct legislation referendum on the November ballot. In addition to the $1 fine, the legislation would make possession of marijuana the lowest priority for Monona police.

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Campaigning for president in the liberal oasis of Madison, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont rose to the defense of marijuana.

Critical of the nation's war on drugs, Sanders said the lives of millions of Americans have been "ruined" because they got a police record for possessing marijuana.

"Today, under the federal Controlled Substance Act, marijuana is listed in the same Schedule I as heroin. That is nuts," Sanders declared March 26, 10 days before he defeated Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin's Democratic primary.

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Dane County Pushing Municipalities to Lower Fines for Pot Possession

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi has seen how possession of a small amount of marijuana can affect families in vastly different ways.

"A young person would get charged with possession of marijuana, and their family would be facing a fine of over $1,000; that obviously comes down disproportionately on people living in poverty, and that can really set them back," Parisi says. "Fines wouldn't get paid, which would make it difficult or impossible for young people to get a job."

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Considering the article in Wednesday's paper "State rep plans anti-heroin bills," if Rep. John Nygren really wants to curtail opiate abuse in Wisconsin, he should consider sponsoring legislation legalizing the medical use of marijuana.

Research recently published by the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research found that states that allow patients to access medical marijuana through dispensaries have reduced rates of opioid addiction and overdose deaths.

In addition, a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that enactment of statewide medicinal cannabis laws is associated with a 24.8 percent lower state-level opioid overdose mortality rate.

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On Thursday, Gallup released a poll showing that 44 percent of Americans have said they've tried marijuana, the largest number the survey has ever recorded.

This isn't too far off from what other polls have found (this Pew Research Center poll pegged the number at 49 percent), and given that people are being asked to admit to behavior that is illegal in most places, the true number is almost certainly higher.

So we're past the point where most American adults have tried pot, which helps explain why support for legalization has also become a majority position.

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Public, religious groups, law enforcement coalition support ending marijuana prohibition.

H.L. Mencken defined Puritanism as, "The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." We may think that is something from the distant past but then we are reminded of it from time to time, even in 21st century Wisconsin.

Legislation which would end the prohibition of the use of cannabis (a.k.a. marijuana) has been introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly. What has taken them so long to reform prohibition is a mystery. So far, 23 states and the District of Columbia permit the use of this herb with a doctor's prescription for medical use. A few states are treating cannabis more like alcohol.

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Menominee Legislator Says Research Must Be Done First

Now that the Menominee tribe's dream of opening a Kenosha casino has gone up in smoke, the tribe is looking for a new way to raise cash - growing marijuana.

Craig Corn, a tribal legislator, opened the door Friday to growing marijuana on the reservation near Shawano. In a tweet Corn sent out Friday, the former tribal chairman said: "Now we embark on a new economic endeavor, it is time to progress forward. We are gonna fast track a effort to legalize Marijuana."

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To the Editor:

Your recent editorial, "Our View: Not everyone is on board with marijuana enforcement," raises some very valid points.

When President Richard Nixon launched the war on drugs in 1970, marijuana prohibition was a new thing. But 45 years later it has become an industry. We have become so conditioned to the negative indoctrination of almost five decades of anti-pot propaganda that we often blindly accept it.

In 1997 President Bill Clinton, responding to the legalization of medical cannabis in California, commissioned the Institute of Medicine Report on medical cannabis. This federal report was released in March 1999, and although heavily politicized, still acknowledged that cannabis had great medical value. It also debunked the so-called "gateway theory."

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In a governor's race full of twists and turns, it has now come to this:

A national conservative group - a Super PAC supported by the Koch brothers in the past - is lighting up social media with nine light-hearted ads promoting the Libertarian candidate for governor, Robert Burke, because he wants to legalize marijuana.

The videos almost immediately stoked concerns within Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke's camp that this was a cynical Republican ploy meant to peel off young voters or confuse people. Five of the nine marijuana ads attack Mary Burke, who is opposing GOP Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday.

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A Madison couple investigated for possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Baraboo will not be charged with a crime for possessing the controlled substance.

The Baraboo Police Department and City Attorney Mark Reitz declined to prosecute the offenses and found the couple provided authorities with valid Wisconsin medical marijuana prescriptions.

While investigating a complaint about a dog left in the vehicle of Greg and Karen Kinsley on Sept. 13 at the Sauk County Fairgrounds, Baraboo Police Sgt. Mark Lee and Det. Jeremy Drexler spotted a marijuana pipe through the car window. The officers confiscated it along with a small amount of marijuana after resolving the pet issue.

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Dear Editor: Despite popular support, medical cannabis has had a rough time gaining traction at the Capitol. Early in 2014, both houses unanimously passed a hastily and poorly drafted restrictive medical marijuana bill that required federal approval to use an extract containing only cannabidiol, one of the 60-plus cannabinoids in whole-plant cannabis. Not one patient has gained access under the new law.

After this debacle, state medical marijuana advocates came together to find a new way. A grass-roots campaign was created and raised $7,500 for a billboard to call out opponents and create more public awareness and support for passing comprehensive legislation like the Jacki Rickert Medical Cannabis Act.

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A married couple so far has avoided marijuana charges after providing Baraboo police with doctors' notes and other documentation during an incident in which they were found with a small amount of pot and a smoking pipe during a local political event Saturday.

Baraboo Police Department Sgt. Mark Lee and Det. Jeremy Drexler investigated a report of a dog left in a car during Fighting Bob Fest at the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo. While speaking with Madison residents Greg and Karen Kinsey about the complaint, the officers reported seeing a marijuana pipe through the car window. Police confiscated it along with a small amount of marijuana found in the car, though the issue involving the pet was resolved.

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Dear Editor: Thanks for publishing Gary Storck's thoughtful letter: "Best help for ALS may be to legalize medical marijuana." I'd like to add that cannabis not only treats ALS and many types of cancer, it can help prevent these diseases.

I strongly suggest the readers read Clint Werner's book "Marijuana, Gateway to Health: How cannabis protects us from cancer and Alzheimer's disease."

Why has our government not informed us about the many health benefits of cannabis? Because research into cannabis' therapeutic effects is blocked by the government due to its classification in the most restricted category of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

Our government can only research and fund research into the potential harms of cannabis, but never any benefits. Is something wrong with this situation? I certainly think so.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.

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Dear Editor: The "ice bucket challenge" to raise awareness about ALS is all the rage among politicians these days, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his wife, Tonette.

As there are few conventional treatments for ALS, perhaps the best way to help those suffering would be to instead advocate for legalizing medical cannabis in Wisconsin.

In May, I attended a conference in Portland, Ore., presented by Patients Out of Time, "The Endocannabinoid System and Age-Related Illnesses."

In a presentation on ALS and cannabis, Dr. Gregory T. Carter, a clinical professor at the University of Washington, stated that medical cannabis is "almost custom-made to treat ALS. It dries the mouth up, relieves pain, eases muscle spasms, improves the appetite, and may well have a disease-modifying effect."

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Doctors in Wisconsin Worried About FDA Provision in New Cannabidiol Law

Madison - Nine-year-old Nicholas Volker asks his mother every day when he'll be able to get the medicine that could end the scores of seizures that shake his body every day.

His disheartened mother, Amylynne Santiago Volker, tells him, "Not yet."

Two months after Gov. Scott Walker signed into law a measure allowing the use of cannabidiol, a marijuana derivative used to treat epileptics without giving them a high, Wisconsinites have not yet been able to access the drug. That's in part because of obstacles written into the legislation at the last minute.

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WAUSAU - If you have a stereotype in mind about who wants to change marijuana prohibition laws, the meeting held Saturday afternoon at the Marathon County Public Library likely would have broken it.

The Northern Wisconsin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws held its Talking Hemp and Cannabis Tour event there, a two-hour event that was part political action movement, part economic development sales pitch and an all-out rebuke of the political and legal system that has declared the so-called war on drugs.

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Dear Editor: I have suffered from glaucoma and other serious medical conditions since birth. Thirty-five years ago, my ophthalmologist wrote in a letter, "I am familiar with reports that marijuana lowers intraocular pressure in many people who have glaucoma. If marijuana were available for me to prescribe to this patient, I would be willing to do so, in the hope it would adequately control his condition with fewer side effects than the medications currently available."

Eight years earlier, when I had smoked marijuana before a checkup, another eye doctor found my usually highly elevated eye pressures were normal.

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Lydia Schaeffer, the 7-year-old girl with a rare genetic disorder whose plight inspired lawmakers to legalize a marijuana extract to treat her condition despite their opposition to medical marijuana, has died. Lydia's mother, Sally Schaeffer, had been lobbying the state legislature to legalize the drug, an experimental extract from cannabis plants known as Charlotte's Web, for use on children with seizure disorders. The lawmakers moved to pass the law in record time and Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed the bill in April. But Lydia, who died in her sleep on Mother's Day, never got a chance to try the treatment because the law's implementation was still being worked out.

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The approval of a marijuana derivative to ease seizure disorders in children came surprisingly fast in the state Legislature this spring, but sadly not soon enough for 7-year-old Lydia Schaeffer.

Lydia died in her sleep Sunday at home in Burlington before she had a chance to try the treatment that her mother, Sally Schaeffer, fought so hard to legalize in Wisconsin.

"I kept thinking to myself we've just got to buy Lydia some time, we've just got to buy her some time. And I guess we didn't buy enough," Sally said Tuesday.

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MARSHFIELD - Marijuana use could increase heart attack risk, according to a study with input from local doctors published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Most people think marijuana is safe to use ... even some doctors, but it was found that it can give you significant health problems," said Marshfield Clinic cardiologist Dr. Shereif Rezkalla, who wrote the editorial that accompanied the study.

About 2 percent of marijuana-related health complications reported between 2006 and 2010 to the French Addictovigilance Network, which monitors drug abuse, were cardiovascular complications, including heart attacks and strokes.

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Dear Editor: It was good to see Gov. Scott Walker sign legislation legalizing a form of medical marijuana to treat pediatric seizure disorders. However, Walker's signature does not mean that the children, whose stories moved usually stern lawmakers to tears, will see their medicine anytime soon.

According to Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, under the law, multiple federal agencies will have to give their approval - "a process that typically takes several years." Given Walker's rejection of billions in federal aid for high-speed rail and Medicaid, why is he now deferring to federal regulators to make critical decisions regarding the health of state children?

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Before closing out the legislative session, the Legislature passed a bill that would legalize cannabidiol, a marijuana by-product, to treat seizures, sending the bill to Gov. Scott Walker's desk. It is certainly true that this bill would help people, specifically children, who have certain medical conditions. Regardless, the bill does not go far enough because it does not end Wisconsin's failed policy of marijuana prohibition.

It is currently illegal to possess cannabidiol under Wisconsin law. This is because cannabidiol is a type of cannabinoid that is found in THC - one of the main chemical components of marijuana.

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When newspapers present an editorial, they have a responsibility to inform their readers accurately. The Journal Times recently failed miserably, "Legalize CBD to treat epilepsy" (March 16).

You seem to be confusing the medical cannabis strain from which the CBD hemp oil is being extracted, "Charlotte's Web", with the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD). CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are two of almost a hundred therapeutically active cannabinoids and other compounds found in whole plant cannabis. These compounds like cannabis plants continue to be classified by federal authorities as Schedule One drugs with no medical uses and a high potential for abuse.

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We recognize that Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican majority in both houses of the Legislature aren't rushing to join Colorado and Washington state in legalizing marijuana. Walker has said "I think it's a big jump between someone having a beer and smoking marijuana," and we recognize he's not alone among Wisconsinites in that point of view. In December, we advocated a wait-and-see approach, i.e., first watch how legalization plays out in those two states.

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Lawmakers Like Rep. John Spiros Should Inform Themselves About Therapeutic Pot

After more than 75 years of marijuana prohibition, questioning the reefer madness misinformation that has sustained it for so long has proven to be difficult for some.

Take Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, for example. Spiros, a former police officer, was so convinced by emotional committee testimony that a form of medical marijuana, cannabidiol or CBD, can help relieve seizures in children, that he helped vote the bill, Assembly Bill 726, out of committee in a bipartisan 7-1 vote.

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Lawmakers Like Rep. John Spiros Should Inform Themselves About Therapeutic Pot

After more than 75 years of marijuana prohibition, questioning the reefer madness misinformation that has sustained it for so long has proven to be difficult for some.

Take Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, for example. Spiros, a former police officer, was so convinced by emotional committee testimony that a form of medical marijuana, cannabidiol or CBD, can help relieve seizures in children, that he helped vote the bill, Assembly Bill 726, out of committee in a bipartisan 7-1 vote.

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Our state's hesitation to pass progressive laws and its attack on union workers has left it less desirable to younger generations. Young adults may be more inclined to move out of state to locales that better match their ideals and interests.

My husband and I moved back to Wisconsin after several years living in other states. We agreed that Wisconsin had the ideal mix of recreation, business and proximity to family that we wanted. However, many of our friends had already left the state or moved shortly after our return. I believe that this could be an indication of a larger trend related to recent policy changes or lack thereof.

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