Gary Storck considers medical marijuana a lifesaver. The Dane County man has been smoking it for medical problems since Oct. 3, 1972, when he was 17 years old.

"I smoked some cannabis before seeing my eye doctor. He checked my pressures and they were normal that day," he said.

Storck, 58, has glaucoma, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and has also had heart surgery. He uses a vaporizer to heat up marijuana until its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is released into the steam.

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