Below is a letter I wrote that was published by the Capital Times on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019.

Gary Storck: GOP stonewalling on medical marijuana is a cruel exercise

Dear Editor: Despite his repeated claims of support for legalizing medical cannabis, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos seems to be channeling his inner Leah Vukmir in stating he fears holding a public hearing on the highly popular issue as it might become a "circus."

Those of us with long memories remember back in 2007 when then-Rep. Leah Vukmir said, "I will refuse to put members through the circus of a hearing for a bill that is not going to go anywhere. This is nothing more than a backdoor attempt to legalize marijuana, which is not going to happen on my watch."

Vos' claimed support of medical cannabis has always seemed extremely insincere, from his latest "circus" outburst to recently opining that medical cannabis should be dispensed only in "pill form," to stating it needs to first be legalized by the federal government before Wisconsin can do so.

Remember when Vos said earlier this year lawmakers would take up medical pot this fall? Well its now winter and lawmakers met only a few times in the fall thanks to the GOP's do-nothing leadership.

For Wisconsin patients who can benefit from medical cannabis, the endless stonewalling on the issue by successive GOP-majority legislatures has been a cruel exercise in ignoring the will of citizens. Few issues command the 83% support medical cannabis carries with the people of Wisconsin. Continuing to deny legal access is a good sign democracy is on life support in the Badger State.

Gary Storck

Madison

(I included Author, The Rise and Fall of Cannabis Prohibition in Wisconsin, as my title when I emailed the letter, but it was not included.)

Jacki Rickert addresses then-Rep. Leah Vukmir regarding her "circus" statement at the Dec. 15, 2009 combined health commitrtee hearing on the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act.