MADISON: When the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act failed to pass, it meant that Wisconsin patients would have to continue their long wait for a state medical marijuana program. The JRMMA would would have created a state registry program like those in place in most medical marijuana states including Colorado, Rhode Island, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska and others.
But, recently revealed loopholes in the Oregon and Montana medical marijuana programs allow out of state residents, including Wisconsinites, to obtain state medical marijuana cards.
While the card does not explicitly apply in Wisconsin, prior cases suggest it may offer a level of protection for state patients that they would not otherwise have.
Steve Elliott, in an article for News Junkie Post, “Two Medical Pot States Don’t Require Residency” discusses the Montana loophole:
MADISON: Another negative effect of marijuana prohibition is that the failure to regulate the cannabis market puts cannabis consumers and sellers in danger. Cannabis pronibition has steadily made things worse as lawmakers found new ways to penalize cannabis consumers.
A beneficial herb that once was a widely used American medicine was turned into an illegal product rivalling gold ounce per ounce in value. The failure to follow the reccomendations of panels including the Shafer Commission and establish a legal regulated market has led to myriad potential hazards for peaceful, otherwise law abiding citizens who prefer safer alternatives to society’s approved legal drugs of choice, alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications.
This was demonstrated again by an incident reported in Madison’s Capital Times about three young men robbed at gunpoint attempting to purchase cannabis:
MADISON: Thanks to a unanimous vote on July 15 by the Dane County Board, Dane County voters will have a chance to vote on an advisory referendum on medical marijuana in the Nov. 2 general election.
Alongside the candidates for office, voters will find this question:
“Should the Wisconsin Legislature enact legislation allowing residents with debilitating medical conditions to acquire and possess marijuana for medical purposes if supported by their physician?”
While the first-ever countywide advisory referendum on support for medical cannabis is historic, some may question whether it will accomplish anything. Some may say that it’s only advisory and won’t change anything.
But, while the vote may be advisory, it will have a number of impacts.
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MADISON: The Veterans Administration recently decided to formally allow patients treated at its hospitals and clinics to use medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
Had a majority of Wisconsin State lawmakers not shrugged their collective shoulders to the plight of disabled vets and instead passed the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act this year, many Wisconsin veterans could now be rejoicing at the news.
Instead, it’s just more fear and looking over their shoulders, or moving to states where it is legal, as close as Michigan or Colorado, as many are doing if they have the ways and means. Meanwhile, with the election cycle heating up, many of the lawmakers who left Wisconsinites without legal access to medical marijuana are now asking to be reelected or even promoted to the U.S. Congress, in the case of State Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Milladore). Lassa joined Republicans on the Senate Health Committee in ensuring that Wisconsin veterans, seniors, sick disabled and dying would continue to be considered criminals if they chose medical cannabis to ease their pain. She now wants voters to trust her to send troops to war, after failing to protect veterans who have already served and who need medical cannabis to move forward with their lives.
The letter summarizing the new policy:.
This is a follow-up response to your letter requesting clarification of the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) policy regarding the practice of prescribing opioid therapy for pain management for Veterans who provide documentation of the use of medical marijuana in accordance with state law.
lf a Veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the Veteran from receiving opioids for pain management in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility.
The Veteran would need to inform his provider of the use of medical marijuana, and of any other non-VA prescribed medications he or she is taking to ensure that all medications, including opioids, are prescribed in a safe manner.
Standard pain management agreements should draw a clear distinction between the use of illegal drugs, and legal medical marijuana. However, the discretion to prescribe, or not prescribe, opioids in conjunction with medical marijuana, should be determined on clinical grounds, and thus will remain the decision of the individual health care provider.
The provider will take the use of medical marijuana into account in all prescribing decisions, just as the provider would for any other medication. This is a case-by-case decision, based upon the provider’s judgment, and the needs of the patient.
Should you have further questions, please contact Robert Kerns, PhD, National Program Director, New England Healthcare System at (203) 932-5711, extension 3841.
Signed, Robert A. Petzel, M.D.
The original letter is available here for viewing or download.
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