On Saturday, October 20, 2018, the Wisconsin State Journal published a letter to the editor I wrote in response to comments by cannabis advisory referendum opponents in a recent State Journal article. article . The letter was also published online by the State Journal on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018.
RELATED: The Cannabadger Guide to the 2018 Wisconsin County Cannabis Advisory Referendums
Letter to the Editor by Gary Storck that appeared in the Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 print editions of the Wisconsin State Journal.
Pot referendums aren’t a liberal ploy — Gary Storck
As a longtime medical cannabis patient and activist, I’ve researched past efforts to reform Wisconsin’s harsh cannabis laws, and 2018 has been nothing short of historic. The grassroots effort that produced 16 county and two city advisory referendums on medical and adult use of cannabis shows how far the issue has come with the public and elected officials from every corner of Wisconsin.
While opponents such as Attorney General Brad Schimel and state Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, claim the referendums are some kind of Democratic plot to turn out voters, the counties and cities that approved placing these referendums on the ballot are not all Democratic strongholds. If this were some kind of Democratic scheme, why would county board members in red counties such as Brown, Forest, Langlade, Clark and Lincoln go along with it? Could it instead be they actually listened to the heartfelt testimony of the citizens that came forth to speak in favor?
Voters representing more than half the state’s population will find cannabis advisory referendums on their ballots. And these referendums will pass easily in every locale. Maybe Schimel and Rep. Nygren should stop playing politics and start paying attention to issues that matter to the state residents they claim to serve.
Gary Storck, Madison
The Cannabadger Guide to the 2018 Wisconsin County Cannabis Advisory Referendums