PEOPLE SHOULD SUPPORT MEDICAL MARIJUANA

This is in regards to your article, "Ed Thompson backs medical marijuana
bill," (Dec. 12) in which I was quoted.

In attending the press conference to show support for this legislation I
witnessed what has unfortunately become a very rare event in Wisconsin
politics - politicians working together to do something that would benefit
some of the states most vulnerable people.

In a state grown weary of partisan politics and caucus scandals at the
Capitol, the sight of Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians working
together was itself medicinal.

But the press conference was only the beginning. What is needed now is a
Senate co-sponsor, and the cooperation of Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen
(R-Town of Brookfield) in making sure the bill gets a fair hearing this
time around.

Jensen's aide Steve Baas was quoted in some articles as saying that "This
topic has been a perennial loser here in the Assembly that has done a lot
to define Madison liberals but not much to impact the debate."

But the fact is, for anyone who has ever been the victim of serious
illness, or knows someone who has, most people understand that all options
should be on the table, not all options but one, and that is why for
decades opinion polls have shown that at least 65-75% of Americans support
legal access to this issue.

As Is My Medicine Legal Yet? founder Jacki Rickert of Mondovi testified at
an Assembly hearing on medical marijuana last April, "I am begging you
ladies and gentlemen to be open-minded.

Just think about it. Tomorrow it could be you, your children, your parents,
you never know. You could get a disease, a syndrome, you could get hit by a
car, anything. And when it happens you hope there is something out there
that's going to help you."

As a Waukesha native now living in Madison, I call on the good people of
Waukesha to please act now to see that this option becomes legally
available to sick and dying Wisconsinites! You can reach the governor at
(608) 266-1212, Speaker Jensen locally at 798-0650 and toll free at (888)
529-0032, and your legislators through the toll-free Legislative Hotline:
(800) 362-WISC (800) 362-9472.

Gary Storck director of communications Is My Medicine Legal Yet? www.immly.org