SPEAKERS DISCUSS BENEFITS, CULTIVATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA AT PRESENTATION

Members of the UW community attended a lecture to learn about the
legal, medical and physical environment of medical marijuana at an
event sponsored by the UW Horticultural Society.

Gary Storck, president of the Madison chapter of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, spoke about the
historical and scientific backgrounds of medical cannabis before
delving into recent medical and legal developments.

Storck said using marijuana for medical purposes is not a recent
development.

"A Chinese emperor's stash was recently discovered in his tomb: two
pounds of herbal cannabis that still contained THC," Storck said.

Storck described various conditions that medical cannabis can treat,
such as multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder. A
40-year user of medical marijuana, he reflected on his own
experiences.

"I've had glaucoma my entire life, and although my vision has greatly
decreased, I can still see, and that's a tribute to the medicinal
power of cannabis," Storck said.

Present local policy has its origins in Madison City Ordinance 2320,
which, in 1977, decriminalized possession and allowed for marijuana
use with proper certification.

Storck said Republicans have frustrated recent attempts to forward
marijuana legislation in the state Legislature but also mentioned the
success of the cannabis referendum on November ballots in Dane County
and River Falls.

"Medical marijuana is something that residents support," Storck said,
"Unfortunately, with the legislative changes, people in control could
care less about medical marijuana."

Troy Sedlak, the author of "Anarco Grow," a fiction novel about a
Costa Rican-American marijuana pipeline, spoke about the basics of
indoor marijuana cultivation.

Sedlak took the audience through the basics of growing, identifying
ideal conditions and practices employed during stages of cultivation.
He described the process from planting through the vegetation,
flowering and drying stages.

After debating the merits of various light sources and growing
techniques, Sedlak said growing marijuana is more difficult than is
commonly thought.

"The common misconception of growing is that it's easy to do," Sedlak
said. "People think, 'Cool, I'm going to grow and have pounds and
pounds of pot.' It's not that easy. It takes a lot of time to learn
how to do it the right way. It's really an art form."