BRANDON PRO AND CON

Zach Brandon may consider himself a Democrat, but he is clearly from
the right wing of the party. And while Democrats are in general more
reliable supporters of medical marijuana than Republicans, there are
all kinds of exceptions, like Bill Clinton, one of Brandon's heroes.

In early 2004, I worked with my alder, Judy Olson, to draft a
resolution declaring March 14-21 "Madison Medical Marijuana Awareness
Week. The resolution was on the agenda at the Council's March 2
meeting, with seven additional sponsors: Mike Verveer, Jean MacCubbin,
Brenda Konkel, Matt Sloan, Austin King, Steve Holtzman and Brian Benford.

I was the first to speak in support, and I recalled not only how it
had helped treat my glaucoma, but also how it helped a close friend,
noting, "In the face of uncontrollable suffering, marijuana has
literally been a godsend."

During the debate, Brandon argued against adoption, saying, "Any week
that promotes drug use, be it legal or illegal, is not an appropriate
message for this body to be sending."

The resolution was clearly not an attempt to "promote drug use," but
to raise awareness of cruel policies that target some of our most
defenseless citizens. Fortunately, the majority of the council
understands why the resolution was before them, and the resolution
passed with 11 votes.

Gary Storck