DEBATE OVER LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL REASONS HEATS UP IN WISCONSIN

Jeffrey Smith says it's time for Wisconsin to put aside its fears and
loosen its grip on the use of marijuana.

"Our best weapon is the truth," said Smith, a Brillion resident. "We
need to get past all of the old stereotypes. It's getting past all
70-plus years of all-out lies about what the plant is and what it can do."

Smith is a paraplegic. He said marijuana provides relief for his
muscle pain. And he wants state lawmakers to approve bills this week
that would allow marijuana use by those with certain debilitating
medical conditions and create a state registry of those who qualify.

Time is of the essence - the bills will die if a vote isn't taken by
the end of the legislative floor period for general business on Thursday.

Opponents say Wisconsin would be ill-advised to loosen restrictions
on marijuana. They see it as the first step of a slippery slope.

Appleton's Donna Daniels, coordinator of Wisconsin Families in
Action, is concerned that the growing advocacy for medical marijuana
could be creating some confusion on a drug that's still illegal and
far more potent and dangerous than the marijuana of decades ago.

"There's a need to step up education, and not just to young people,
but to parents as well," she said.

Last month, the state Department of Justice announced seven Fox
Valley arrests after an investigation into a drug ring they say
distributed hundreds of pounds of marijuana and $4 million worth of
cocaine. Weeks later, the justice department announced two arrests
and seizure of 116 marijuana plants at homes in Sauk and Columbia counties.

Meanwhile, residents statewide have attended rallies supporting bills
that would legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. Activists held
an educational event at the Appleton Public Library earlier this
month. The "THC Tour" has moved throughout the state to build support
for medical marijuana bills and another bill that would lift a
prohibition on the manufacture of industrial hemp.

One would have to look no farther than California to get a sense of
the concerns of opponents of those bills. There, voters will decide
in November on whether the state would become the first to make
marijuana legal for recreational use.

By most accounts, Wisconsin isn't in the same place.

The medical marijuana bills have stalled in the Legislature after a
December hearing.

Dr. Darold Treffert, a psychiatrist from Fond du Lac and member of
Wisconsin's Controlled Substances Board, joins those who see medical
marijuana paving the way to full legalization.

He pointed to the explosion of medical marijuana dispensaries in
California and the ease by which people can obtain permits for use.

"They have more dispensaries for marijuana than there are Starbucks," he said.

Polls: Attitudes Shift

While they are far from having a consensus, activists say they're
finding more open ears than they had even a few years ago.

Jay Selthofner, field director for Wisconsin's chapter of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said tides
are changing. The long-illicit plant moved from taboo to a place
where people are at least willing to engage in discussion on its use.

"The time has come," he said. "It's not that we're doing anything
different. People aren't afraid to speak out about it anymore."

Polls suggest a culture shift on the issue, though viewpoints on
marijuana differ by degree of restrictions.

A poll released by the Pew Research Center this month found 73
percent of Americans favored having their states allow use and sale
of marijuana for medical purposes. A majority of Americans, however,
still believe recreational use should remain illegal, according to an
October Gallup Poll.

Margins, though, are becoming narrower.

In 1995, just 25 percent of those surveyed by the Gallup organization
responded in favor of fully legalizing marijuana. In October, 44
percent supported legalization.

Polls and surveys suggest an aging baby boomer population may have a
role on shifting opinions.

An even 50 percent of those questioned in the October Gallup Poll
from ages 18 to 49 favored legalization. Just 28 percent of those 65
and older would support legal marijuana, according to the poll.

That gap is just as evident in terms of historical usage.

A 2008 federal survey found 9.3 percent of those 65 or older used
marijuana at least once in their lifetimes. By comparison, more than
57 percent of those ages 45 to 49 reported having used the drug.

Supporters say old views have been the biggest impediment.

Gary Storck, of Madison, a longtime advocate for legalizing medical
marijuana, attributes tarrying among lawmakers to misinformation
spread through decades of anti-drug campaigns.

Society had been close to legalizing marijuana as late as the 1970s, he said.

He recalled one of his friends being caught by police with marijuana
in 1969. Police then said they figured marijuana would be legalized
within a couple of years.

Storck said it's hard to believe it's still an issue, particularly
for medical applications.

"It's nothing to be feared," he said.

The Medical Issue

Wisconsin's bills, if enacted, would make it the 15th state to
legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

Michigan enacted a medical marijuana law in 2008. Lawmakers in
Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa also have had bills to consider.

Wisconsin's proposals have brought passionate responses from both sides.

Doctors aren't necessarily opposed to the idea of using the active
ingredient in marijuana for medical applications, Treffert said. It
is effective in certain situations.

Many in the medical community, however, are opposed to legalizing a
medicine outside of the traditional Federal Drug Administration
approval process. One pill based on marijuana's active ingredient is
already on the market. Another drug is going through trials, Treffert said.

"Physicians have been cast as sort of mean to people - that we're not
compassionate," he said. "That's not it at all."

Treffert fears doctors would be pressured into marijuana
prescriptions even when they don't believe it's the right treatment.
He has just as much concern that medical marijuana would mean greater
availability of marijuana for recreational users.

Supporters point to those who've gained relief as evidence of its benefit.

Selthofner talked about a young cancer patient who was bedridden and
couldn't keep food down. After talking with a friend, she tried
marijuana. She was able to eat and get out of bed.

Storck discussed an Iraq War veteran who found marijuana has eased
severe post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Selthofner said those who've talked to their doctors and found
marijuana worked better than and without the side effects of other
medicines shouldn't be cast as criminals, he said.

He knows not everyone is convinced.

"It's not for everybody," he said of marijuana. "No medicine is for everybody."

Debate Increasing, Use Isn't

The debate on marijuana hasn't occurred in a vacuum.

Kathy Verstegen, a nurse at Kimberly High School, said students
aren't ignorant of the issue.

The Kimberly Area School District has one of the most comprehensive
drug prevention programs in the region, which includes random drug
testing for students who have parking spots or participate in
extracurricular activities.

Verstegen conducts those tests. She's listened to students voice
opinions supporting legalization. Sometimes they want to be heard,
but she suspects they many times want information.

"That's always my opportunity to go back to the basics on marijuana
and talk about the detriment and that it can ruin a young life," she said.

One survey suggests the debate hasn't muddied health messages
directed at teens.

The Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey released in December showed
declines in recent years in the number of high school students who
reported marijuana use.

The percentage of students who smoked marijuana at least once in
their lives was its lowest last year in the 12-year period included
in the report at 34.2 percent. The percentage who used marijuana
within 30 days of the survey dipped just more than one percentage
point from 2007 to 18.9 percent last year. It was the second-lowest
percentage in the 12-year comparison.

Treffert isn't certain downward trends will continue

A federal study released in January said consistent declines among
high school students have leveled off, as perceived risks associated
with regular marijuana use has declined.

He said the medical marijuana debate has a role in how young people
perceive the danger of the drug.

Changing attitudes haven't meant a change in police encounters among adults.

Brad Dunlap, commander of the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan
Enforcement Group Drug Unit, said marijuana is the most widely used
illegal drug in the region, though there's nothing from an
enforcement standpoint to suggest its use is on an upswing.

"There are certainly spikes, but we see a fairly consistent number of
arrests from year to year," he said.

In Outagamie County, adult arrests for marijuana possession averaged
330 per year from 2004 through 2008. In that five-year period, the
highest number of possession arrests came in 2008 with 351, state
statistics show. Winnebago County's arrest rate also maintained
consistency during that period. The county saw a five-year average of
329 annual arrests. Its highest year for arrests was 2005 with 352 arrested.

Debate Continues

Appleton's Daniels said she knows what she's up against. She attended
a hearing on medical marijuana where she was the lone voice among
more than 100 to speak against the bills. It's an uphill battle, and
one that starts with parents. It's more vital than ever for parents
to learn the risks out there and pass their values onto their children.

"Today's world isn't like it was when we were teenagers," she said.

Smith said those in favor of lifting restrictions on hemp and
marijuana have plenty of reason for confidence.

"We're making strides," he said.

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MARIJUANA BY THE NUMBERS

4 Days remaining before Wisconsin medical marijuana bills would die
should they fail to come up for a vote in the legislature.

14 States that currently have laws allowing for medicinal use of marijuana

15.2 Percentage of Americans aged 12 or older who used marijuana
within a month of a 2008 federal survey

34.2 Percentage of high school students in 2009 who reported having
tried marijuana in their lifetimes

24,211 Fans through Saturday of a Facebook Web page supporting
medical marijuana in Wisconsin