A note to book publishers: When sending out books to prospective reviewers, pay attention to the title of the book and how it could possibly confuse the post office or recipients. Some office managers may express concern if their editors start getting packages with, say, the words "Illegal Drugs," emblazoned across the top. Recently, such a book came out, written by Dr. Paul M. Gahlinger, MD., Ph.D., M.P.H. and yes, FACOEM. And after the initial confusion, the book turned out to be quite good. [continues 1203 words]
Organizers estimated about 1,000 people assembled downtown Saturday for the Great Midwest Harvest Festival, an annual gathering of pro-marijuana activists. The day included a parade from Library Mall to the Capitol and speeches by many activists including Gary Storck, who has used marijuana for 31 years to ease his glaucoma, and Jacki Ricker, who suffers from nerve and muscle disorders. They and other speakers advocated the legalization of medical marijuana in Wisconsin. Although many attendees openly smoked joints in public during the festivities, police did not arrest anyone. [end]
When in doubt, keep your mouth shut. This was the main theme at a Wednesday event sponsored by the UW-Madison Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a group seeking to inform students about problems with American drug policies. At the forum, a local lawyer educated students on the legality of police drug searches, while a representative from a civil liberties group explained how students could retain their rights during those searches. David Ham, a criminal defense lawyer who graduated from UW-Madison's law school in 1994, emphasized the dangers of the Higher Education Act to students. A 1998 amendment to the act stipulates that college students who reveal drug convictions on financial aid forms can lose their federal aid. [continues 326 words]
Dude, your sister's hot. That's not cool. Gimme 50 hamburgers. Puff. Yes, these are the sounds of the new TV campaign against the gentle herb. They are, in a word, superextrastoopidfunny. You know what else is funny? They chose a TV campaign because they knew all the lazy dirtbag stoners would be watching it anyway. Ha. All of the spots focus on teenagers. This is presumably because they are easily influenced by television, are at a stage in their life in which they have to make a lot of decisions, and because parents are more easily freaked out when they can associate an image with their kid. [continues 506 words]
Despite a recent major bust of an alleged Ecstasy trafficking ring that involved three UW-Madison students and several arrests made at an organized rave at the Alliant Energy Center last weekend, the popularity of Ecstasy may still be on the rise, according to local authorities. "We've noticed an increase, both in the amount that is available on the streets and what has been taken by the police in the past years," said Madison Police Lt. Brian Ackeret, director of the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force. "It's an increase that is happening both in Dane County and nationally, and because of that we are making it a top priority, and these recent arrests are examples of that." [continues 455 words]
I found the poll showing that medical marijuana has received 80 percent support statewide is very encouraging, as doctors and patients know a hell of a lot more about necessary medicines than do bureaucrats in the state capitol. There is, however, something quite discouraging that I read in the Capital Times March 13. We currently have six candidates campaigning to become the next governor of Wisconsin. Despite the fact that "medical marijuana" has received 80 percent statewide support (and 90 percent support in Dane County), there is only one candidate who has come out in favor of this proposition. [continues 88 words]
Seriously or terminally ill patients who wish to alleviate their suffering with medical marijuana have the support of 80.3 percent of Wisconsin residents, according to a survey released Tuesday. The Wisconsin Trends 35 survey asked respondents if they favored "the Wisconsin state Legislature passing a law to allow seriously ill or terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes, if supported by their physician." According to the survey, the Madison area contained the highest percentage of supporters, with 91.7 percent. The lowest percentage of supporters, 70.7 percent, came from the northwestern region of Wisconsin. [continues 337 words]
I must agree with Tom Powell and other supporters of medical marijuana, as described in The Daily Cardinal's article ("New York Times ad sparks debate on medical marijuana use in Wis." March 8-10). Here in California, we passed a law legalizing marijuana for medical use over five years ago. Many of our citizens suffering from debilitating, often terminal diseases such as cancer and AIDS have benefited greatly from this unique medicine. Even our local city officials and police departments, many of whom originally opposed the measure, are now fully supportive. And how could they not be? Take just a few minutes to talk to one of the patients who use cannabis. Their eyes filling with tears; they will describe how greatly it has improved their lives by allowing them to function normally despite debilitating [continues 54 words]
A recent full-page advertisement in The New York Times in support of the legalization of medicinal marijuana has reintroduced the controversy in Wisconsin surrounding the issue. The ad, in the form of a letter to President Bush, included endorsements from many state representatives, including nine from Wisconsin, medical professionals, political organizations and celebrities expressing their support for medicinal marijuana. "Marijuana has been shown to be a useful tool in the treatment of nausea and other complications associated with chemotherapy," said Tom Powell, legislative aid to state Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison. [continues 318 words]
Support for medical marijuana may finally have reached critical mass in Wisconsin. On Jan. 14, Reps. Frank Boyle, D-Superior, and Mark Pocan, D-Madison, formally introduced a medical marijuana bill in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Since the legislation was unveiled in December, eight more representatives, both Republican and Democratic, have signed on to the bill as co-sponsors, indicating a surge of support for medical marijuana. Newspapers across the state have run editorials and letters-to-the-editor calling for passage of the bill. [continues 527 words]
MADISON, Wis. -- Students on campuses across the nation, including University of Wisconsin-Madison, are calling for the repeal of a law limiting convicted drug offenders' access to financial aid. Their concern with the 1998 law stems not only from the drug offenses it screens for, but also the crimes for which it does not. With the exception of failure to register for the draft, no other offenses are questioned or can prevent a student from receiving aid, including violent crimes such as rape or murder. [continues 588 words]
