STOP RAIDS ON MEDICAL CANNABIS

The fact that nearly a quarter of Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner's
assets are stocks of pharmaceutical giants Merck & Co., Abbott
Laboratories and Pfizer helps explain why he votes against medical
marijuana whenever the opportunity arises ("Sensenbrenner's Assets,"
Expresso, June 21).

His next chance comes in a few weeks when Congress once again
considers budget language forbidding federal agents from raiding
medical cannabis patients and providers in the 12 states that have
legalized it, one up from last year. Previous attempts in
Republican-dominated Congresses have come up short, thanks to
drug-industry buddies like Sensenbrenner and his Wisconsin GOP
colleagues Tom Petri and Paul Ryan.

Those three politicians have distinguished themselves as tireless
supporters of continuing to arrest the sick and dying should they
choose marijuana over Merck & Co.

Hopefully, the Democrat who now holds anti-medical marijuana zealot
Mark Green's former seat, Rep. Steve Kagen, will join fellow Wisconsin
Reps. Tammy Baldwin, Gwen Moore, Ron Kind and David Obey in voting to
block these raids. If enough members of the new Democratic majority in
the House follow suit, it could be the first real positive step at the
federal level in protecting patients who utilize medical cannabis. It
might be bad for Sensenbrenner's stock portfolio, but he's already
profited enough from the misery of generations of patients who died in
pain because so-called public servants like him made sure medical
marijuana stayed illegal.

Is My Medicine Legal YET?

www.immly.org

Gary Storck

Madison