Wisconsin: Let’s secure a floor vote

Published: December 15, 2009

The Assembly and Senate heath committees held a joint hearing today on SB 368, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act. Legislators heard from patients and advocates who urged them to pass this humane legislation out of their committees so it can get a full floor vote. Many thanks go out to everyone at Is My Medicine Legal Yet? for all of their outstanding advocacy work.

Although the committees have taken the time to listen to interested parties, a vote has yet to be taken. This gives us the wonderful opportunity to show the members of the committees, and their colleagues, how important a safe, effective, and regulated medical marijuana program is to Wisconsinites!

In order for this to happen, legislators need to hear from you. Please e-mail your representative and senator. If one or both of them are a member of either the Senate or Assembly health committee, urge them to vote "yes" on SB 368/AB 554. If they are not health committee members, please request that they lobby their colleagues who are to vote the bill out of committee.

It is also very important that the committees hear from supportive opinion leaders and people who would be personally affected by this bill. If you are a medical professional, clergy member, member of law enforcement, or a patient who would benefit from the passage of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, please e-mail state@mpp.org to see how else you can help.

The Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, sponsored by Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-27) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-78), would remove penalties for possession of marijuana for an individual diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition if it is recommended by their doctor. The bill also protects licensed caregivers and dispensaries. It’s time to make sure that seriously ill patients have safe and well-regulated access to the medicine they need.

Thank you very much for your time and energy.