For Immediate Release                Senator Jon Erpenbach /Representative Mark Pocan

November 16, 2009                                                            608-266-6670 or 266-8570

 

Erpenbach and Pocan: Now is the Time for Medical Marijuana

Madison – Representative Mark Pocan and Senator Jon Erpenbach unveiled their action plan today on the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act to allow seriously ill Wisconsin residents access to a medicine to ease their pain.  Announced today is a combined public hearing with the Assembly Public Health Committee and the Senate Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief and Revenue Committee for December 15th.

The two legislators recently introduced the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act (Senate Bill 368 and Assembly Bill 554) with 17 co-sponsors. The measure would allow access to medical marijuana for patients with a number of debilitating diseases and conditions who receive a prescription for marijuana from their doctors. In addition, the bill sets up a registry for these patients with the Department of Health Services.

“This is an issue where people are clearly way ahead of the policy makers,” Pocan said. “The Wisconsin Legislature needs to catch up with the public and pass this bill because making medical marijuana legal is the right and compassionate thing to do for patients in pain.”

This bill simply gives patients and their doctors the option to consider marijuana without fear of prosecution. The act is similar to a recent Michigan referendum that passed in all counties, with a 63% majority statewide.  Other recent events bolstering this bill’s chances include Gov. Jim Doyle’s statement backing medicinal marijuana with a doctor’s prescription and the American Medical Association shift in policy in favor of reviewing marijuana’s medical uses.

“As we work to address comprehensive health care reform, consideration should be given to the benefits of medical marijuana for patients with a debilitating medical condition.  The bill provides a medical necessity defense for marijuana related prosecutions and property seizure if the patient has valid prescription from their physician and an ID card from Department of Health Services,” Erpenbach said.

 Conditions covered could include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS and HIV and other diseases as determined by administrative rule. The bill also creates a maximum amount of marijuana a patient may have, establishing clear limits for both the patient and law enforcement. Finally, the bill gives the Department of Health the ability to create rules for a registry of people allowed to use medical marijuana and for the licensing and regulation of a non-profit corporation to distribute marijuana.

Currently there are 13 states where medical marijuana is legal and another 17 states where legislation has been under consideration in the Legislative session.