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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.
source
Dane County Board votes unanimously to put MMJ Advisory Referendum on Nov. 2 General Election Ballot
MADISON: In a voice vote, the Dane County Board unanimously voted Thursday night to place a Medical Marijuana Advisory Referendum on county ballots for the Nov. 2 general election. Thursday’s vote sets up the first-ever vote in Dane County on medical marijuana.
The resolution was sponsored by District 6 Supervisor Jon Hendrick, who was joined by 12 cosponsors. It had previously passed out of the board’s Executive Committee on July 8 on a unanimous 6-0 vote.
The vote means that on Nov. 2, all Dane County ballots will carry 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?
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MADISON: The Dane County Board’s Executive Committee unanimously voted Thursday night to send to the full County Board a resolution that would put an advisory referendum on medical marijuana on county ballots in the Nov. 2 general election. The vote to adopt Res. 70, 10-11, Referendum on Medical Marijuana by the full 37-member panel is scheduled for the Thursday July 15 meeting.
The resolution asks whether board members want to place the following question before voters:
“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?”
A public hearing will be convened during Thursday’s County Board meeting at which supporters will have the opportunity to register or testify in support. Because the hearing is part of a meeting, testimony is usually limited to five speakers. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm in Room 201 of the City-County Building 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in downtown Madison. Supporters are urged to attend and register in support as well as contact their County Supervisor and ask they vote for the medical marijuana advisory referendum resolution.
You can reach your Dane County Supervisor through the Board Main Number: 608-266-5758 or by following the links below:
Map of Dane County Supervisory Districts
Directory of Dane County Supervisors with contact information
Original source: LINK
MADISON: What began as an anti-war protest 40 years ago that soon morphed into a cannabis legalization rally will celebrate the beginning of its fifth decade October 1-3, 2010. The Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival has long been a fall ritual in Madison as much as University of Wisconsin Badger Football or Halloween on State St.
Sadly, this year will not be the anticipated celebration of the passage of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act but yet another call to action as the fight for reefer sanity rages on both in Wisconsin, and much more successfully in other states.
The 40th Annual Harvest Fest will follow the format used in recent years, a Friday evening benefit to kick off the weekend, live music, speakers, informational tabling and vending on Saturday afternoon at the Library Mall at the end of State St., and Sunday’s traditional Parade to the Capitol for a concert and rally.
According to the brand new Harvest Fest website, the 2010 festival will feature a not only some familiar faces but also some new ones. Festival organizer Ben Masel, who has been the driving force behind Harvest Fest for the last 38 years, will be speaking along with Wisconsin colleagues Gary Storck and Jacki Rickert. Their fellow “Medical Marijuana Commando Squad” member, Jim Miller from New Jersey, is also returning.
