MEDICAL MARIJUANA REFERENDUM QUESTION ON NOVEMBER 2

Dane County voters will find a question asking if they support passage
of a state medical marijuana law when they go to the polls November
2.

On July 15, in a voice vote, the Dane County Board unanimously
approved placing a Medical Marijuana Advisory Referendum on county
ballots for the November 2 general election. The approval sets up the
first-ever vote in Dane County on medical marijuana.

The resolution was spearheaded by east side supervisors John Hendrick,
and Barbara Vedder, who were joined by 11 other sponsors. It had
previously passed 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?"

Four county residents spoke in support. The first was Mike Glaspie, a
cancer patient and veteran, "I don't know a single person who wouldn't
choose something that could help them instead of obeying the law. It's
an unfair choice to ask them to have to make. I feel we should be able
to ask the general population how they feel about that."

Several supervisors followed sponsor Hendrick in speaking in support.
No one opposed.

District 28 Supervisor Kurt Schlicht, a Republican candidate for the
State Senate, talked about family, "I stand in support because my
mother died of pancreatic cancer. The last six months of her life were
so horrific. I am against using drugs to get intoxicated, but I
watched my mother die. She was a registered nurse. The marijuana,
acquired illegally, gave her an appetite and gave her a littler energy
and probably sustained her a few more weeks. So I stand in support,
and I'll take it to my constituents and I hope it passes."

Supervisor Brett Hulsey, a Democratic candidate for the State Assembly
seat of retiring Rep. Spencer Black (D-Madison) also spoke in support,
citing a family member's bout with cancer.

"This is sometimes the best medicine", Hulsey said. "I hope we can
change the policy and fight back the reefer madness that has stopped
this medicine from being available"

District 32's Mike Willett, representing Verona, said he was planning
on voting against it but came around to supporting a vote, "I support
it because it is putting the question out to the people."

Hendrick spoke again before the vote, saying " I would just invite all
of you to join Representative Vedder to represent our constituents and
to represent the opportunity for all of your constituents to vote on
this in November and to advise the legislature that they have nothing
to fear from the people of Wisconsin if they decide to pass a bill to
legalize medical marijuana."

After the unanimous vote for adoption, Hendrick said the resolution
would be sent to the Wisconsin Counties Association to encourage
others to follow suit. In a July 20 article, Hendrick told the
Wisconsin State Journal he was surprised at the unanimous vote but
wouldn't be surprised if the referendum passed by a 70-30 margin or
better on Nov. 2.

Advisory referendum supporters plan to be at the Saturday Farmer's
Market at the Capitol and other events with literature. To learn more
visit JRMMA.org, MadisonNORML.org or call 608-241-8922.

Gary Storck is a Madison resident, longtime medical cannabis
patient/advocate, member of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Referendum
Campaign Committee and the co-founder of the Madison chapter of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).