MEDICAL CANNABIS SUPPORTERS UNITE

Is your medicine legal?

Jacki Rickert's isn't. The Wisconsin mother suffers from several
incurable medical conditions and says the only effective treatment is
marijuana.

Rickert joined two state legislators and other medical marijuana
supporters Tuesday for a press conference to announce the
introduction of new medical marijuana legislation.

Tuesday was a symbolic day for Rickert, as it marks the 10-year
anniversary of the "Journey-for-Justice," a 210-mile trek across the
state Rickert and an entourage of medical marijuana supporters made
in their wheelchairs that ended at the Capitol.

In honor of Rickert, Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Superior, and Rep. Mark
Pocan, D-Madison, named the new legislation the "Jacki Rickert
Medical Marijuana Act".

"I'm real proud that for the first time we are giving the bill a real
name," Boyle said. "This bill will forever be known as the Jacki Rickert Bill."

Rickert is the founder and patient coordinator of Is My Medicine
Legal Yet?, a non-profit group dedicated to spreading awareness,
furthering access to and research of marijuana for medical use.

"We know it works. We know it's not going to kill us," Rickert said.
"I have never had an allergic reaction to a God-given herb."

IMMLY efforts are meant to support those with a variety of chronic
and fatal medical conditions. If passed, patients would have to
qualify with the Department of Health and Family Services to receive
medicinal marijuana.

Pocan said victims of cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, persistent seizures
and muscle spasms would be eligible to qualify for medical marijuana
under this legislation.

"If someone [has the] written consent of their physician or [has]
obtained a valid registry card from the DHFS, ... they would be
allowed to have the possession or be able to grow a certain amount of
medicinal marijuana," Pocan said.

Medicinal marijuana, the IMMLY believes, can benefit people of all ages.

The youngest supporter at the conference was 21 year old Lynn.
Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 19, she lost her
sight, mobility and independence from the disease. Lynn has smoked
marijuana for an extended period of time and said it helped her
finally become able to move out of her parent's house.

"If you had a 19-year-old daughter who was in pain every day, what
would you do to help?" Lynn asked. "You could be put on five
different drugs three times a day every day, like I was. Or you can
take pot, and now I'm on two drugs a day."

A similar version of the bill was introduced by Boyle and Pocan in
2001. Former Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, introduced the
legislation again in 2003 and 2005; however, it failed to progress
through the legislature on all three occasions.

"We want to make sure that this is the year Wisconsin gets it," Boyle
said. "Twelve states have now legalized medical marijuana, and I'm
sick and tired of the state of Wisconsin dying a most regressive
death in what used to be progressive tradition."

Using marijuana for medical use is currently legal in Maine, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Missouri, Washington, Oregon, California,
Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Alabama and Hawaii.

"Please, we have to make this legal," Rickert said. "I beg all of you."