Fighting the Good Fight in Wisconsin

As Legislators Push Anti-Reform Policy, Advocates Soldier On

By Mary Lou Smart

After years on pain pills, Belinda Balk found cannabis. A 54-year-old mother of two with six grandchildren, she is a newcomer to mar- ijuana. She had tried smoking marijuana in her teens and did not like it.

Over time, however, her medical issues were getting the best of her. A violent rape years ago had left her with recur- rent painful memories and anxiety, which her doctors diag- nosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Possibly as a result of the PTSD, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in the mid-1990s. Characterized by chronic and wide- spread muscle and connective tissue pain, fibromyalgia is often accompanied by sleeping disorders and fatigue. Sufferers of PTSD and fibromyalgia are also prone to depression.

To fight the pain and calm her fears, doctors prescribed a wide range of pills from Xanax to Demerol, hydrocodone and oxy- codone. They came with worrisome side effects. More than once she forgot what she had taken and over-medicated.

“I would forget and then my mind was just out of sorts,” she said. “People are in the hospital constantly for acci- dental overdoses. Now I find out that  cannabis  works and I didn’t even have to take those drugs?”

Despite her setbacks, Balk was a hard-worker, a good provider and resourceful. Friendly and personable, she was a realtor for 17 years and before that a cosmetolo- gist. She has managed a day care center and been a foster parent. To be able to function normally, hold down a job and care for her family, Balk tried to use medication spar- ingly.

A year ago, she was driving across town with her son when something triggered a panic attack. Shaking and perspiring, she pulled off the road. Rifling through her purse, she saw that she had no Xanax, a realization that caused her anxiety levels to spike. Her son reached his hand out and gave her a joint. “You  need this more than    I do,” he said. Not long after trying the natural  remedy, she felt better. Her breathing slowed. She became calm.

Everything following this incident, her first experience with medical cannabis, has been part of a profound awakening. As far as the cannabis goes, she was amazed at the number of issues the plant resolved, including her reliance on pharma- ceuticals. With a small amount of cannabis smoked in slight increments, she weaned herself off of all prescription medica- tions. Imagine the relief that comes from titrating, measuring, doses easily, and feeling benefit within 20 seconds. No more worries of overdosing or toxic side effects!

For ongoing benefit, she does need ongoing therapy. Without medicating with cannabis for three days, the fear, anxiety and pain return.

“For me this is not using cannabis to feel good as in party time,” she said. “When I medicate with cannabis it lessens the pain and it helps me tremendously with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Narcotics do not take away pain; you don’t care about anything but you are still  in pain. Cannabis does take away pain and the relief is imme- diate. Relief from the anxiety and fear felt with post-trau- matic stress disorder is immediate.”

Her own personal experience has opened her eyes to the insanity of a prohibition against a natural therapy and she

wants to help others. Through advocacy, she is fighting a new type of anxiety, the fear of arrest. Compassionate to a fault, Balk now defends the poor, the elderly, the sick and the disadvantaged who face arrest for using a simple plant that provides natural therapy.

For Balk, the refusal of one legislator, the Republican state majority leader, to listen to constituents who depend on cannabis for medical reasons is what drove her to open a local chapter of Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

“After I met with my own senator, Senator Scott Fitzgerald, and he treated me like I was nothing, I went online to find organizations that are proactive and that is how I found ASA,” she said. “My parents who are in their 80s are proud of me for doing this. My sister who is an attorney is proud of me and so is my brother. My family  has been very, very supportive.”

In January, ASA awarded Balk a scholarship to attend its National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference in Washington D.C. in February. Once there, she was impressed by what she saw.

“I was expecting a bunch of hippies sitting around,” she said. “Instead, we heard from doctors, nurses, attorneys and other business people from around the country and scientists from different countries. It was amazing to be there.”

After returning to Wisconsin, she was empowered and determined. In April, she opened up an ASA chapter in her hometown of Columbus. Within three months member- ship grew to more than 250.

There is work to be done. With approval  for  cannabis high — even 10 years ago a poll registered support for the plant in excess of 80 percent — and two state statutes rec- ognizing medical cannabis use by the sick, legislators seem to be marching to the beat of a different drummer.

Recent legislation that will negatively impact many who rely on cannabis as medicine is a prime example.

A public hearing held in June by the Senate  Committee  on Economic Development and Local Government to discuss its version of the legislation, Senate Bill 150, was for show only. Legislators were unresponsive to construc- tive criticism. The bill’s clear intent is to prosecute cannabis users.

In reference to marijuana offenders, one of the bill’s spon- sors, freshman Republican Senator Rick Gudex explained “they should get a greater punishment the second time around.”

Following passage of the anti-cannabis legislation, in any municipality that decides it makes sense to go after a per- son whose case has been dismissed by a local district attorney, a person previously convicted of misdemeanor possession of a joint, when caught a second time with even a seed, might be faced with being charged twice for the same offense. This time around, if the state district attorney dismisses the second offense, the new legislation allows it to be brought back to the local court to be pros- ecuted yet again.

Marijuana laws in Wisconsin are stringent. First-time

offenses for a small amount carry misdemeanor charges with up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Second- time convictions are felonies with large penalties. District attorneys often throw out second offenses for small amounts, possibly because convictions result in felonies and huge costs not only to the individual charged but to families and communities. The perceived lack of follow through by district attorneys who rarely pursue small cannabis possession cases inspired the freshman senators to craft SB150, but in a state with strong support for cannabis reform many are scratching their heads and talking about double jeopardy and the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment protection against trying a  person twice for the same crime.

With penalties of 3 ½ years in jail and a $10,000 fine, a felony conviction on a second offense for even a small amount of marijuana is severe. Another freshman senator and sponsor, Republican Jeremy Theisfeldt said that the bill is a common sense idea, a fantastic way for municipal- ities to recoup the cost of local arrests. When asked by Senator Lena Taylor, a Democrat, if the two had tried instead to explore alternatives to criminalizing non-violent offenses, Theisfeldt appeared to not understand the conse- quences of his legislation. He said that SB150 was a rev- enue generator that would not lead to incarceration. In fact, not paying fines often leads to jail time. He said that the need for harsh penalties for small offenses was neces- sary as a way to penalize repeat offenders. Gudex joined in, asking, “If they cannot pay fines, where are they get- ting money to buy marijuana?”

When it comes to alcohol offenses, nobody is asking drunk drivers where they find the money to buy beer. Known for its breweries, the state has some of the most lenient drunk driving laws in the United States. In 2012, Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation reported that out of 28,213 OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) con- victions the previous year, approximately 39 percent of those were repeat offenders. In the Badger State, a first- time drunk driving offense results in a traffic citation, not a criminal charge. Beer is big business in Wisconsin and the industry supports its legislators.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

This menu shows the most recently posted content for a quick update since you last checked-in.

How to Sober Up from Being High?

Cannabis consumption brings different effects, depending on the person’s level of smoking tolerance. After an extreme euphoric effect, what comes...

From the Family Vault of Shanti-Baba

"Seems more than strange to grow up as a child and see how important my parents and their peers viewed...

Why Get Pines Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass might just be a typical plant growing in your backyard, but few people know that it has a lot...

How to Make Your Own Canna-Caps

by Old Hippie BeyondChronic.com What do you do when you need cannabis medicine and you can’t or don’t want to...

Database Search

Are you researching marijuana as medicine? Use the simple form below to search any condition. Read personal stories from patients just...

Cannabinoid Receptors in the Body and Their Importance

David B. Allen M.D. By legal Democratic Vote; Cannabis Is Medicine To get CBD from top verified sources, click here....

The True Origins of Haze

By Big Herb It all began in 1969, In Santa Cruz, California. At the time, there was Thai Oaxacan and...

Top 5 Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are those seeds that are formed from Cannabis Sativa, a hemp plant. They are different from marijuana but...

Cannabis and Working Out

If you're wondering how cannabis can help you with your workout regime, then you probably need to read this article....

How Companies Are Creating Innovative New CBD Products

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis and hemp that may deliver unique health benefits. CBD is just...

5 Marijuana Compounds That Could Help Combat Cancer, Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s

by Paul Armentano Deputy Director of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) This commentary was initially...

Living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

By Michael Morrow My name is Michael Morrow, I'm 37  years  old and I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta. OI is a...

Gifts from Mother Nature

By Dianna Donnelly - "The couch activist” Aspirin, otherwise known as Acetylsalicylic Acid, is one of the most commonly ingested preventative medicines...

Paradise Seeds Allkush; More Than Just Kush

One of the new feminised strains from Paradise Seeds is named “Allkush”. So nothing but Kush? Taken genetically literally, no...

28ft… The John Berfelo Story

By John Berfelo "Medical marijuana saved me from a life on pharmaceutical drugs..." My name is John Berfelo and this...

My Grinspoon Moment

By Carl Hedberg Sometimes a single meeting can change your life. Such was the case for me when, in the...

The Science Behind Cannabis Safety

David B. Allen M.D. By legal Democratic Vote; Cannabis Is Medicine. Drug safety is on the minds of most all...

Heavenly Hash: The Art, Science and Industry of Cooking with Cannabis Extracts

by Samuel Wells Samuel Wells is an Assistant Professor of English in Denver, CO An Edible Enigma As scientific and...

Living High with HIV

How Medical Marijuana Rivals Mainstream HIV Medicine By BenBot In 2011, I was diagnosed with HIV. An unmarked van was...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

With Veterans at Risk, Change is Necessary, but Progress is Slow By Mary Lou Smart In 1933, the repeal of...

Milagro Oil for Lung Cancer

By Mary Lou Smart www.medicalcannabisart.com Compassionate care advocates Michelle and Michael Aldrich at Patients Out of Time’s Seventh National Clinical...

Living and Dealing with ADHD

by Patricia Allen It was back in 1974 that I first became familiar with the term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder...

Inflammatory Comments

by Bill Drake As a long-time TY reader I’ve noticed what seems to me to be a rather over- whelming...

How Cannabis Might Keep Coronary Stents Open Longer

By David B. Allen M.D.Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Member ICRS. And Prisoner of the Drug War Cali215doc@gmail.com First the set...

Unlocking the Secrets, Advanced Tissue Culture

Tissue Culture is a process of isolating cells from plant tissue (explants) which are cultured (grown artificially), in a nutrient...

Anxiety Panic Disorder and Cannabis

By Hal Lubinsky My name is Hal Lubinsky. I'm in my forties, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a U.S....

Can Cannabis Cure Schizophrenia?

By Richard Shrubb, Freelance sailing, health and social affairs journalist ould cannabis treat or even cure schizophrenia? Things look promising...

Multiple Sclerosis: Regaining the Good Life with Whole Plant Therapy

By Mary Lou Smart© 2012 www.medicalcannabisart.com A trial attorney, Jim Dyer practiced law in Tucson, Arizona for 34 years before...

The Science of Cannabis Leads in Many Directions

The Evolution of a Sense of Well-Being By Mary Lou Smart www.medicalcannabisart.com While speaking at Patients Out of Time’s Seventh...

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

By Shantibaba It is evident for all people who wish to listen that doing all things within moderation is better...

Post Traumatic Stress

Psychology and Medication at its Best By Jeff Kundert OTR Jeff works as a Wellness and Fitness Educator. He has...

The Ripper Effect

By Subcool Some really interesting information has come to my attention, and I am very excited to tell everyone in...

Auto-flowering Plants

By Shantibaba The discreet evolution of Auto-flowering cannabis plants is a recent occurrence, one that is in mode at present...

Uncovering the Original Sacrament: Chris Bennett’s Cannabis and the Soma Solution

Review by Samuel Wells When asked to name an author crucial to the growing mainstream understanding of the uses of...

Cornerstone of Individualized Phytogenetics ACDC 22:1 @ CB3

Alternative Cannabinoid Dietary Cannabis 22%CBDA:1%THCA acting at GPR55 Alias CB3 by William L. Courtney, MD, AACM American Academy of Cannabinoid...

Mr. Magoo

By Ron Hudson My birthdays: I woke that birthday morning, in October of 1966, knowing it would begin like the...

Medical Cannabis University

By Reverend Philip H Hoff - Chancellor, MedicalCannabisUniversity.org ( MCU, Inc. ), a 501 c(3) nonprofit school. The school focused...

Storm’s Story

By Georgia Peschel WHEW! Delivering this kid was like delivering a hurricane!” When our son was born, those were our...

Soil Pests & Diseases

By Lazystrain Soil is a living organism made up of billions of microbes and bacteria. The cosmology of soil life...

A Tragedy Felt Around the World

by Jonny Appleweed On Oct. 27, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed into law the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and...

Autism & Cannabis

Prohibition Makes it Tough on Parents by Mary Lou Smart Jeremy Patrone (not his real name) has a goal. He...

Vaporization of Cannabis: Are there benefits over combustion?

By William Eckhardt Although vaporization is a relatively recent development for the delivery of cannabinoids the proliferation of vast numbers...

Bedrocan

By Harry Resin Generally when you think of Amsterdam, you think of the coffee shops, but that’s not all that’s...

How Does Wattage Affect Your Vape? Beginners Guide to Wattage

Many vape devices available on the market allow you to adjust the wattage so that it suits your personal preferences....

9 Healthy Ways of Coping With PTSD

PTSD can affect many individuals and isn’t something that only happens to folks who have served in the army and...

Secrets To A Good Night’s Sleep

After a night spent turning and tossing, you will wake up feeling tired, grumpy, and sleepy. As we get older,...

4 Things To Keep In Mind Before Starting Your Cannabis Journey

Cannabis has recently become legal for medical usage in multiple parts across the U.S and several other countries for recreational...