cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Advocates Rally in Madison Medical Marijuana Advocates Rally in Madison Posted by CN Staff on October 01, 2005 at 19:49:16 PT Editorial Source: Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin -- Advocates for legalizing marijuana for medical use in Wisconsin are rallying support at this weekend's Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival for a bill they say is expected to be introduced by Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh.Underheim, who chairs the Assembly's Health Committee, said in June that after talking with cancer survivors while he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer, he planned to introduce legislation to allow limited use of medical marijuana when prescribed by a doctor. He could not be reached for comment today.Local advocate Gary Storck said members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Safe Access plan to make an announcement at the Capitol on Monday, when they also will deliver cards signed by medical marijuana supporters to state legislators.The cards cite surveys that found 80 percent of people in Wisconsin and across the country support access to medical marijuana.Storck said there are already 15 co-sponsors of the bill, including Reps. Mark Pocan and Spencer Black, both Madison Democrats.Pocan said many people he has talked to believe that marijuana can be helpful in alleviating pain and creating an appetite, and provides a more holistic option to treating symptoms than other drugs.Black said he sees no reason why marijuana should not be available to help patients with cancer and other illnesses when prescribed by a doctor."Many states ranging from conservative to progressive have passed legislation like this," Black said. "I would hope Wisconsin would as well.""I think we have our first real chance," said longtime local advocate Ben Masel.A medical marijuana bill introduced four years ago never made it out the Assembly's Health Committee, Masel said, adding that Underheim, who also chaired the committee then, opposed it at that time.Storck, who helped establish the organization Is My Medicine Legal Yet?, credits the marijuana he has used daily for more than 30 years with saving his eyesight by reducing pressure caused by glaucoma. Marijuana also alleviates his chronic pain caused by degenerative disc disease and arthritis, he said.After almost dying following heart surgery in 1997, Storck said, "I decided to use this extra time I was given to get medical marijuana (legalized) in Wisconsin."The 35th annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival brought advocates from California and Washington, D.C., to join local supporters Saturday in speaking out in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational purposes.The festival will resume at 1 p.m. today on Library Mall with bluegrass music by Barleycorn and a parade up State Street to a rally on the Capitol steps. The parade will begin at about 2:45 p.m.Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a leading figure in the medical marijuana movement in California, said that nearly 150,000 patients have benefited from medical marijuana since it was legalized in that state nearly 10 years ago.Mikuriya said the federal government is protecting big pharmaceutical companies by opposing medical use of marijuana in favor of drugs that are less effective and can have severe side effects.Other advocates, such as R. Keith Stroup of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Washington, D.C., and Mikki Norris of the Cannabis Consumers Campaign in El Cerrito, Calif., are drawing on the battle for civil rights by gays and lesbians in urging recreational marijuana users to come out of the closet.Stroup said many people were brought up amid cultural opposition to marijuana in the era of "Reefer Madness" and have an image of pot smokers as long-haired hippies burning draft cards.But that is changing, Stroup said, adding that 47 percent of Americans today have smoked marijuana. "We're within a couple of years of having more Americans who have smoked than not."In the last year, 27 million Americans smoked marijuana, Stroup said. "We're just average Americans. We're certainly not criminals."Yet of the 755,000 arrests for marijuana in the United States last year, he said, 88 percent were for simple possession.Norris' group also is working to dispel the myths and negative stereotypes associated with marijuana use. Its Web site -- http://www.cannabisconsumers.org -- features photos and profiles of 260 marijuana users "to show we are basically good, contributing members of society."Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)Author: Sandy CullenPublished: October 1, 2005Copyright: 2005 Madison Newspapers, Inc.Contact: wsjopine madison.comWebsite: http://www.wisconsinstatejournal.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Wisconsin NORMLhttp://www.winorml.org/Is My Medicine Legal Yet? http://www.immly.org/Coffee With... Gary Storckhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21151.shtmlState Ready for Medicinal Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21145.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #35 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 21:22:46 PT Gary You, Ben, and Jackie are accomplishing so much. Thank you. [ Post Comment ] Comment #34 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 21:17:48 PT Runruff You said, "We have to want prohibition to go away more than they want to keep it." I'm keeping that in mind and what you said earlier about locked together hands and hearts. I can take talking to one or two at a time. It doesn't have that creepy box full of spiders feel that was in that forum in Missouri most of us visited. Poking at the tigers in the cage will ultimately probably be good for him. He's at least getting exposed to our point of view. He hasn't run from our point of view as quickly as the Missouri bunch did either. I don't know if he'll ever become a member of LEAP. But at least we tried. [ Post Comment ] Comment #33 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 20:02:14 PT Dankhank I just saw it. It was really good once again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #32 posted by Dankhank on October 02, 2005 at 19:26:52 PT Weeds Heads Up !!!!!!!!!!!!!This week's episode is fixin' to start SHO-Elast chance ...Mon, new show ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #31 posted by runruff on October 02, 2005 at 19:06:40 PT: Jake! Sukoi, Hope, Kapt, Pete, et. al. You all did a fine job debating Jake the Cop with truth and logic. You notice how he was determined not to see. He was blinded by rewards. I often think what would a man like that be doing for a living if not being a cop? I feel what ever it is it would not have the same rewards. Money, perks, power. He will argue in circles to maintain his position on prohibition. Prohibition allows him to be all, no make that more than he can be. We have to want prohibition to go away more than they want to keep it.Namaste,Peace [ Post Comment ] Comment #30 posted by mayan on October 02, 2005 at 18:03:59 PT Theologian I never realized how hard that word is to spell. Then again, I never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer! [ Post Comment ] Comment #29 posted by mayan on October 02, 2005 at 17:57:23 PT San Benito County It seems that a budget crisis has forced them to reduce possession of less than an ounce of cannabis to merely an infraction. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of this around this bankrupt nation...D.A. to stop prosecuting some crimes - Staff shortage requires some offenders to get off with a ticket: http://www.pinnaclenews.com/sb-edition/story.php?id=4Pot Shots: Ricky Williams Takes a Late Hit: http://www.counterpunch.org/gardner10012005.htmlSINEAD O'CONNOR: 'I'M A SPLIFFHEAD': http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/sinead%20oconnor%20im%20a%20spliffheadMore privacy on the chopping block...Bill Would Give Cover to Pentagon Spies in U.S. - In an effort to thwart domestic terror, some privacy protections would be rolled back: http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news2/latimes860.htmlTHE WAY OUT: Dr. David Ray Griffin to tour Vermont... The Truth Behind 9/11 and American Empire: A Christian Theoligin Speaks Out: http://www.svfeep.net/Griffin_4in1.jpg [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 16:44:10 PT MikeC I don't know what will bring a change but something must give. It's almost like what we as a society believe is totally contrary to what our current administration believes. I hope that the other major party opens their eyes. The war, medical marijuana, and many other social issues need to be addressed. If the storms in the south haven't convinced most people I don't know what will. [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by MikeC on October 02, 2005 at 16:33:47 PT FoM... You're right in regards to the political climate. I live in a district with two republican representatives (Sheila Hardsdorf and Kitty Roades) and everytime I write them I get the same form letter that is pretty much the stance on marijuana from the ONDCP. I do challenge them to stand up for what's right and quit walking the party line. I am not holding my breath. [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 15:52:53 PT MikeC I don't know why it is taking so long either except that it's the way the political climate is currently. How will they be able to control and make money from it? That's the biggest reason I think. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by MikeC on October 02, 2005 at 15:44:50 PT FoM... I too would like to see Medical Marijuana here in Wisconsin. I just don't understand how with 80% of the people in this state for it, that it hasn't yet passed. Mike Prescott, WI [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 15:34:39 PT About The Article It really is good to see the activism in Wisconsin. I hope we all live to see the day when the laws are changed. I really do. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 14:43:00 PT Hope Now I'm thinking of our weimaraners. We bought a pup when we got together and she came out to Ohio with us. I never worried about her or her offspring we kept around our son. They were great. Now all I want is a dog that is easy to handle. Ah how years change things! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 14:37:06 PT People looks and personalities. If Blue Boy was a man in disguise, he was Richard Chamberlain. Pike was Joe Piscopo.They are so funny. They all, that I knew, would yawn when you scolded them. They groaned a lot as expressions of comfort. People were sometimes alarmed at the deep, resonant, groaning. "What's he making that noise for?" They thought it might be some sort of pre-attack sound. Wiemaraners, when well conformed, are so very beautiful. They reminded me of beautiful statues brought to life.Blue Boy was true to his title of "Gun dog". If he saw someone with one it was a sign to him that he was going to get to go somewhere. Somewhere, preferably, with a big swimming hole. Like your dog, he loved the water, too.The Wiemaraners I had weren't destructive. The most destructive dog I ever saw was a black Lab, followed by a young cow dog we had, and the dachshund. All pups can be destructive...but these dogs, the dachschund and the Lab were destructive even when they weren't puppies. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 14:21:25 PT Hope We had 4 weimaraners in our first house which was very small. They were a trip. Our first one loved swimming. We'd go to the lake and she was always in the water. They are beautiful, intelligent people. Oops I mean dogs! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 14:07:44 PT Germans They certainly gave us some fine dogs. No one can argue with that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 14:02:38 PT Lol! You're so right about no mountain being high enough or no valley deep enough to keep them away from you. I've seen some fine climbing and wiggling by the big ole things to get to where those they love are and to protect them. Once on vacation we explored an extinct volcano and I became exhausted climbing out of the thing. My son sailed by with Blue Boy on a leash and he saw my distress. He gave me the leash, and said, "Here Mom, Blue Boy will pull you up the trail." Blue Boy was having a wonderful time and was so excited sniffing all the animal tracks and everything, that he didn't even seem to notice that he was actually pulling extra weight, us, along. Sure enough, I took the leash and all I had to do was pick up my feet fast enough. I passed my husband trudging along and grabbed his hand and the dog pulled us both up the mountain effortlessly. He was a championship climber and went up a tall canyon face with my daughter. I rounded the corner and saw them and started screaming. "Get down from there! Let that dog go! Get down from there! Now!" I was scared to death. She tried to tell me it wasn't as steep and high as it looked. She was always a problem "climber", too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 13:42:56 PT Hope Raising Rotts was more profitable. Our good old female Rott was a doll and always stayed that way. She had large litters and we got $400 per puppy. It helped us out financially. She came from good german stock. Weimaraners weren't as popular in Ohio as they were back in PA. Weimaraners didn't like being left at home. They tended to really tear up things.A song comes to mind when thinking about weimaraners:There ain't no mountain high enough, there ain't no valley low enough to keep me from getting to you babe. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 13:36:30 PT I like a guard dog... one that takes an agressive and threatening stand against interlopers...but I don't like an attack...or biting dog. I could never take a chance on owning a dog that bit. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 13:35:46 PT BGreen Thanks BGreen. My husband was here when he bite me. He is losing his eye sight in his right eye and maybe he didn't see me as clearly. He has bumped into things recently. We will have him put to sleep if he shows more aggression because he won't be happy if he is snapping out. He really loves us but if something is going wrong with his mind he won't stay the dog we love. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 13:33:20 PT You raised Weimaraners? I can't imagine, then, knowing the breed how you could choose a Rott over a Weimaraner. I've know some really good Rotts...but generally, I don't trust them. I don't own a Wiemaraner now. I'm so tired of house dogs. The last one, a miniature dachshund, was so destructive that it's hard to miss her...though she was so sweet and lovable, too. It's easy to see how he could have become disturbed with all the strangers around there banging and making noise at that. It's the Shutzen...I know that's not the right spelling...trained dogs that are never allowed to see anyone outside the family enter the house, I think for some of the same reasons that so many people being there that has disturbed yours. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 13:25:56 PT Wiemaraners I always wanted to put a doorbell in especially for them. Blue Boy destroyed the half metal cross buck type storm doors with his "knocking" to be let in. They were dented, scratched, and eventually his claws made a hole right through the metal. One of them, Pike, liked to answer the phone. He'd knock it off the hook when it rang and woof at it and listen at the receiver. That dog really wanted thumbs. At first I couldn't understand why the receiver was off the hook when I came home after being away. I soon noticed why. There were times, and this happened to me once, calling home, that he would raise the receiver on the wall phone enough that you could hear him barking and then let the phone lower back into the cradle. Usually he would knock the receiver completely off the phone and we would find it dangling there. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by BGreen on October 02, 2005 at 13:23:52 PT Be careful, FoM I don't like what I'm reading. My cat loses it every once in a while and gives me a nip, but I just look at her and talk to her with a disappointing tone and she comes begging for forgiveness.I don't want you to get hurt.The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 13:17:12 PT Weimaraner You have a Weimaraner? I raised them for well over 10 years. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 13:12:30 PT My favorite guard dog is the Weimaraner. They have Rott blood but they do not "test" you for supremacy as a Rott, Doberman, or German Shephard will. I like Grand Pyranees, too, for their nature...but the hair is too much to keep up with. Our Wiemaraners were always very protective and alert and large enough to make interlopers back off. They were bred from Rotts and Bloodhounds originally and any that showed untoward aggressiveness or cowardice were killed to refine the breed. Since those days, the breed is not nearly as refined as it was, but they are still a very protective and trustworthy and loving large dog. They were bred as "castle" protectors that were safe for the children they were inevitably around. With many years of Wiemaraner ownership under my belt...I often felt like I needed a "castle" of some sort to live with them. They take nearly every step you do, like some little dogs, and sometimes in a regular house that can mean being crowded. They love their family so much that they like to be where they can touch you at all times, even when lying beside your chair, they will put one of their feet in contact with your feet just for the comfort they seem to get from it. They don't necessarily want in your lap...but they do like to maintain close contact.My largest one weighed about 125 pounds in his prime. He was a wonderful traveling companion and guarded us with his life. He saved my children and I from lots of scary things when we traveled with him. A man that was trying to break into our motel room one night, years ago, backed off instantly when Blue Boy spoke to him about the situation. He protected the children and I on many other occasions. When we traveled, he would enter the room or suite first and inspect every inch of it and come back to the door and welcome us in...he'd made sure it was "safe". He probably will always be my favorite dog. I didn't wash his nose prints off the bedroom door...at the edge where he would push it open with his nose, for at least two years after he died. He was so smart, and beautiful, and such a gorgeous personality. He could literally say, "Hamburger" and "Mama" and "Hello" and he could spell...or at least he recognized the spelling of one word, "Alpo". He was such a fine animal. They love training and they like to wear clothes, too. When he stayed in the car while we were inside somewhere he liked to sit in the driver's seat. One night as I finished grocery shopping and was headed back to the car, I noticed a woman in the parking lot staring at him with a rather stricken face. When I opened the door and spoke to him, the woman came over and said, "Oh my, Lord! I'm so glad to see that is a dog. I thought it was the ugliest person I've ever seen in my life!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 12:59:09 PT Hope Thank you. He has been really strange since all the builders were here everyday. He grew up with only my husband and myself. He has gone out in the yard and attacked a piece of cardboard and won't stopped until it is totally shredded. He has never acted this way until all the activity we had around here. He seems confused about it all. He's a good dog but he never has been one I could hug. He's a male big dog thru and thru. We didn't have him neutered and we probably should have. He is a fun dog but a strange dog. He loves Neils music. He sings along with many of the songs. It's funny because the contractors said why is your dog howling when they heard him. My husband said oh he likes Neil Young! LOL!PS: I kind of act like he is a horse. He's almost as big as one! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Hope on October 02, 2005 at 12:48:20 PT Rott Be careful, FoM. Sometimes animals also become afflicted with mental illness or character disorders. Be careful. Please. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 10:35:29 PT MikeC Thank you. I have a little sled dog type female mongrel that we rescued from the pound and she is a doll. My Rott has a big dog body and powerful teeth and an attitude. He's 5 years old and this summer we had a lot of people around here and he seems totally out of sorts. He didn't even look upset that he bite me but started growling at me and then my husband. He is outside now as a punishment. If I hit him for what he did he'd probably go crazy. We keep him away from people and is for protection and that's why we have a Rott. When I'm alone he is better then having a gun which I don't have. We will get a mongrel or another pound dog when he is gone. My husband really likes beagles. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by MikeC on October 02, 2005 at 10:31:49 PT Gary... Thank you for the update....wish I could have been there. It sounds like you had a beautiful weekend.As always Gary...I have a tremendous amount of respect for your efforts. Thank you very much!Mike Prescott, WI [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by MikeC on October 02, 2005 at 10:27:21 PT FoM... Sorry for the dog bite. In regards to the female beagle...that's exactly what I have and she is the most loving little doll you could imagine. Beagles are great because they have a large dog temperment in a little dog's body. I will never co-exist with a dog that is anything but a beagle again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 08:34:17 PT Weeds EJ, I didn't see Weeds this past week because I was watching the PBS specials. I plan on watching the last two episodes though. I think there are two more.PS Off Topic: My Rottweiler just bite me. I tried to pet him and he wasn't in the mood I suppose. I pity the person who ever tries to break in my house. I'm not angry with him but male Rotts have short fuses. He outweighs me by almost 50 pounds. My next dog will be a tiny little FEMALE beagle or something like that. LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on October 02, 2005 at 08:07:11 PT Write Heather Havrilesky She loves Weeds but she nothing but contempt for people who use marijuana. This is the hateful generalization she made about everyone who uses marijuana:**************************************** See, that's the stoner brand of mediocrity: Stoners enjoy thinking big thoughts, mulling over various historical facts and scientific notions, only they don't have enough attention to detail to know exactly what the hell they're talking about, so it all amounts to a collaborative guessing game. Throw in a little strong weed, and collaborative guessing games look a lot like a bunch of second graders discussing where babies come from.****************************************************This is her email address:hh salon.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by siege on October 02, 2005 at 08:02:30 PT ot willie nelson Did any one see the thing on Carl's corner Tx.to day where willie nelson, is puting in a 2,000,000 gal **biodiesel** a year there. the trucker like the biodiesel they say the trucks run better more milage and cleaner then on diesel full. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 02, 2005 at 07:58:16 PT Gary Keep up the great work you always do! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Gary Storck on October 02, 2005 at 07:27:02 PT great article! This article appeared on page 1D, the Local News section of the Sunday WI State Journal, second largest paper in the state. This year's Harvest Fest has been great so far. The weather was perfect on Saturday, and the music and speakers excellent.Today, we parade to the Capitol for more music and speakers, then we gather again, those of us who can make it, at the Capitol for our press conference Monday.We had so many cards signed we had have more printed. Hopefully, we can give this bill a good nudge forward! Is My Medicine Legal YET? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment