PRESCRIPTION POT TO BE DISCUSSED

An Oshkosh Lawmaker Plans To Draft Legislation That Could Legalize
Medical Marijuana Use In Wisconsin.

Gary Storck of Madison is overjoyed by the prospect.

The lifelong glaucoma sufferer said he believes he would be blind
today if it wasn't for his regular marijuana use. The drug releases
tension on his eyes and it doesn't carry the harsh side effects of
some legal medicines.

There is one side effect, Storck said. Right now, he could be jailed
for alleviating his pain.

"It would be a dream come true," Storck said Thursday. "I'm sick of
living in fear. It's ludicrous. It's reprehensible to forbid a doctor
from doing his job when a drug shows so much potential."

Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, said the time has come for a statewide
discussion about the use of medical marijuana under a doctor's
prescription.

Underheim said a U.S. Supreme Court decision rendered this week should
open the door to a debate on the question of whether marijuana should
be available to Wisconsin patients with terminal or debilitating diseases.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up a Justice
Department appeal challenging a lower court ruling regarding medical
marijuana.

A federal appellate court in San Francisco ruled that the government
may not revoke the prescription licenses of doctors who recommend
marijuana to patients.

"My objective is to take a look at whether people in Wisconsin could
be supportive of this," Underheim said. "I want to move cautiously,
but I want to get a sense of what people think and what the medical
community thinks."

Eight states have laws allowing marijuana use on a doctor's
recommendation despite federal laws that outlaw marijuana under all
circumstances.

The lines in the growing debate about medical marijuana use are
clearly defined.

More than 10,000 studies point to marijuana as a harmful substance,
though no reliable studies outline any medical benefits, according to
the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA reports that
patients said to benefit from marijuana use could benefit at a greater
level from other medications.

Storck, a member of Is My Medicine Legal Yet?, a Madison-based
organization that advocates for the legalization of medical marijuana,
said marijuana benefits people suffering from a variety of ailments.

A number of studies reached those same conclusions.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML,
reports that marijuana alleviates nausea and stimulates appetite among
those on chemotherapy or AIDS medication. The drug has also benefited
those with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and other ailments,
according to NORML.

"They say there are other medications out there, but we've tried those
medications," Storck said. "There are some drugs where the side
effects are worse than the ailment."

Underheim, chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, said the
foremost consideration behind the forthcoming bill is to determine
whether medical marijuana is right for Wisconsin residents.
Recreational use of marijuana would remain outlawed. Following the
Supreme Court decision, he isn't concerned about the bill's relation
to federal law.

"The federal court has taken a pretty strong stand that marijuana
could have some legitimate medical applications," Underheim said.

"If a physician thinks marijuana is appropriate, I think it's worth
having the conversation."