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Madison Medical Marijuana Awareness Week Resolution Text

SPONSORS:     Ald. Judy Olson, Ald. Mike Verveer, Ald. Jean MacCubbin, Ald. Brenda Konkel, Ald. Matt Sloan, Ald. Austin King, Ald. Steve Holtzman, Ald. Brian Benford

Whereas,        eight states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) and the nation of Canada have removed criminal penalties for chronically and seriously ill patients who use and cultivate cannabis with the approval of their physicians,

Whereas,        the Wisconsin Legislature passed a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus in April 1982 that recognized marijuana's medical utility in treating glaucoma and cancer chemotherapy side effects, and

Whereas,        the Wisconsin Nurses' Association and the Wisconsin Public Health Association have passed resolutions in support of legal access to medical cannabis, and the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin also is on record in supporting legal access to therapeutic cannabis for HIV/AIDS patients, and

Whereas,        Madison has a long history of recognizing the medicinal use of cannabis a.k.a marijuana; and

Whereas,        Madison Ordinance 23.20, passed by Madison voters in April 1977 and reputed to be the oldest medicinal cannabis law on the books in the United States, allows the medicinal use and possession of cannabis under the supervision of a physician or other practitioner as defined by Ordinance 23.20; and

Whereas,        on May 18, 1993, the Madison Council adopted Resolution 50.068 supporting the restoration of cannabis as a legal and approved medicine, and calling on the federal government and Congress to change federal policies that prohibit the "legitimate and appropriate use of marihuana in medical treatment;" and

Whereas,        the Institute of Medicine's report on medical marijuana commissioned by the White House and released March 17, 1999, states, "The accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation.” and

Whereas,        five years have passed since the release of the IOM report, and recommendations calling for short-term clinical trials of smoked marijuana have been ignored, and recommendations calling for expanded research into both whole marijuana and cannabinoid drugs including development of a rapid-onset delivery system have not been seriously pursued, and

Whereas,        a February 2002 scientific poll conducted by Chamberlain Research Associates of Madison on behalf of state and local medicinal cannabis advocates found that 80.3% of Wisconsinites and 91.7% of residents of the Madison region, comprising Dane County and the City of Madison, support the state legislature passing a bill that would legalize medicinal cannabis for patients under a physician's supervision; and

Whereas,        communities like Madison that passed medical marijuana referendums must be accountable for implementing the voters' will; and

Whereas,        thousands of seriously and critically ill patients who currently rely on safe access to medical marijuana in 8 States that allow it are under threat of Federal arrest and prosecution;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, by the Madison Common Council that March 14 through 21, 2004, is designated as Madison Medical Marijuana Awareness Week, and the Mayor is asked to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of Madison to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.