Pubdate: Mon, 18 Nov 2013
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2013 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://host.madison.com/ct/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Author: Jack Craver

HALF OF WISCONSIN VOTERS SUPPORT MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

In two states last year, voters legalized recreational marijuana. One
of those states, Colorado, is similar politically to Wisconsin.

And yet, few among Wisconsin's political class appear to take pot
legalization seriously. If anything, it is dismissed as a wacky
western idea that has no place in the heartland.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke seemed amused when asked
what she thought about cannabis legalization several weeks ago.

"I don't think that's where the people of Wisconsin are at," said
Burke, who has indicated she could support legalizing medical marijuana.

Gary Storck, an activist with the Madison chapter of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), pointed out in
a letter-to-the-editor that the most recent statewide poll by the
Marquette University Law School showed that roughly half of
Wisconsin's registered voters support full legalization of the drug.

Specifically, 49.7 percent supported legalization, 44.9 percent
opposed and 4.7 percent didn't know.

Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, the chief sponsor in the Assembly of a
bill to set up a system for medical marijuana, said she is not sure
where she stands on full legalization.

"I think there are pros and cons to it," she said.

The lead sponsor of the medical marijuana bill in the Senate, Sen. Jon
Erpenbach, D-Middleton, has said in the past that he does not support
full legalization. A spokeswoman said on Friday that he was
unavailable for comment on the issue.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bill that would empower
municipalities to prosecute those caught with small amounts of
marijuana, even if the district attorney decides to drop the charges.
Six Democrats joined the chamber's 18 Republicans in supporting the
measure. The division appeared largely generational, with the
exception of Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Points, the Democrats who
supported the bill were all at least in their late 60's.

Even medical marijuana remains out of reach. Not one Republican has
signed on to Taylor and Erpenbach's bill, even though polls show an
overwhelming majority of Americans support legalizing the drug for
medicinal use.

Democrats failed to pass a bill authorizing doctors to prescribe pot
in 2010, when they controlled the legislature.

The bill never reached a vote in the Senate Health and Human Services
Committee, a fact that pro-legalization activists attributed to
Democrats who were scared of engaging a controversial issue during an
election year. Activists even protested outside of a fundraiser for
Lassa, a committee member whom they accused of blocking the
legislation. At the time Lassa was waging an ultimately unsuccessful
campaign for Congress against Sean Duffy, an Ashland prosecutor, and
was perhaps reluctant to appear soft on crime issues.

Lassa is again not listed as a co-sponsor of the Erpenbach bill. She
did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Taylor attributes her party's hesitancy on pot to what she believes is
an assumption on the part of Democrats that voters are more
conservative than they actually are.

She points to a recent academic study that found that Democratic
legislators across the country overestimated the conservatism of their
constituents by an average of seven percentage points. Republicans
overestimated their constituents' conservatism by a whopping 20 points.

One might expect some of the GOP lawmakers with ties to the
anti-government tea party movement to support legalizing medical or
even recreational marijuana.

But so far, few Republican legislators appear willing to follow the
lead of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the tea party champion who has said he
opposes prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

A notable exception is state Rep. Scott Krug, Town of Rome. A former
cop, Krug has said he hopes to educate fellow Republicans on the
benefits of alternatives to prison, particularly for drug offenders.
But Krug is not close to suggesting that drug use should go
unpunished, he simply believes there are more effective forms of
punishment than prison.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt