Eau Claire Leader Telegram Letter to the Editor: Medicinal marijuana needed
Source:
Eau Claire Leader Telegram
Published Friday, December 21, 2001
Copyright: 2001 Eau Claire Press
MEDICINAL
MARIJUANA NEEDED
This is
in regard to your Dec. 12 article, "Lawmakers introduce medical
marijuana bill,"
The
announcement by Democratic Reps. Mark Pocan and Frank Boyle, with the
backing of Republican Rep. Rick Skindrud and the endorsement of
Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Ed Thompson marked what has become a
very rare event in Wisconsin politics -- politicians working together to
do something that would genuinely benefit some of the state's most
vulnerable people.
What is
needed now is a Senate co-sponsor and the cooperation of Assembly
Speaker Scott Jensen in making sure the bill gets a fair hearing. While
Jensen aide Steve Baas claims this legislation has little popular
support, the fact is decades of polling have consistently found at least
65 to 75 percent of Americans support legalizing medical marijuana.
Indeed, there are actually few issues that command this much popular
support.
For
those who think the time has come to stop making criminals out of our
sick and dying neighbors, it is time to act. Contact Gov. McCallum, your
state representatives and Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen and ask for
their support in getting this long overdue legislation passed.
As Is My
Medicine Legal YET? (IMMLY) founder Jacki Rickert testified at an
Assembly hearing on medical marijuana last April, "I am begging you
ladies and gentlemen to be open-minded. Just think about it. Tomorrow it
could be you, your children, your parents, you never know. You could get
a disease, a syndrome, you could get hit by a car, anything. And when it
happens you hope there is something out there that's going to help
you."
Please
act now. You can reach the governor at (608) 266-1212, and contact your
legislators through the toll-free Legislative Hotline: (800) 362-9472.
GARY
STORCK
Director
of Communications
Is My Medicine Legal Yet?
Madison
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