COUNTY POT VOTE SET:

ADVISORY REEFER-ENDUM SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER

The Dane County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution July 15 to
put a referendum on the November ballot asking Dane County voters if
they would support legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The referendum that will be on the November 2010 election ballot
reads:

"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?"

The proposed referendum was introduced to the board at the June 17
meeting last month. District 6 Supervisor John Hendrick is the primary
sponsor of the resolution. Hendrick was supported by 12 County Board
members going into June meeting, including District 2 Supervisor
Barbara Vedder; District 4 Supervisor Brett Hulsey; District 5
Supervisor Analiese Eicher; District 11 Supervisor Al Matano; District
13 Supervisor Chuck Erickson; District 14 Supervisor Melanie Hampton;
District 17 Supervisor Tom Stoebig; District 29 Supervisor Dave Ripp;
District 31 Supervisor Gerald Jensen; District 34 Supervisor Patrick
Miles; District 36 Supervisor Cynda Solberg and District 37 Supervisor
Bob Salov.

District 28 Supervisor Kurt Schlicht, whose mother died of pancreatic
cancer, used marijuana to help cope with her illness.

"I'm against using drugs to get intoxicated, but I watched my mother
die," Schlicht said. "She was a registered nurse, and the marijuana
she used - illegally - gave her an appetite and a little energy. It
probably sustained her life for a few more weeks."

A number of community members showed up to voice their support for the
medical marijuana resolution, including Jason Glaspie, who chooses to
use marijuana to ease his cancer symptoms.

"I don't know of a single person who wouldn't choose something that
could help them over obeying the law," Glaspie said. "It's an unfair
choice to ask them. I feel that you should be able to ask the general
population about how they feel about that [medical marijuana] and
whether it's something they want to consider. People have a right to
be asked the question directly."

Gary Storck is another resident that spoke on behalf of medical
marijuana. Storck, who is affiliated with the group Is My Medicine
Legal Yet?, was born with health issues, including glaucoma and heart
problems. He credited cannabis with saving his eyesight.

"Placing the referendum before voters will also provide comfort and
demonstrate that the county stands behind people in pain," Storck
said. "So many say this issue belongs before the state legislature
rather than the County Board, but it is a local issue. This is about
freedom of choice, quality of life and living one's life with dignity."

Charles Wachtel showed up to speak for Wisconsin Veterans for Medical
Marijuana Awareness. Wachtel said a 2008 study by the Rand Corporation
showed two out of five Afghanistan or Iraqi war veterans suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder or severe depression.

Wachtel said in 1988, Francis L. Young, the Drug Enforcement
Administration's Chief Administrative Law Judge, was quoted as saying
"marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically
active substances known to man."

District 32 Supervisor Mike Willett said when the issue of medical
marijuana first came before the board, he felt it was not a Dane
County issue, but he found himself changing his mind the more he
thought about the issue.

"It is getting the question out to the people," Willett said. "The
idea of this being a referendum is what I am supporting. It is asking
the people, and the more time we can ask our citizens what it is they
want."