Interest Group

Interest Group Paper
American Contemporary Society
Due Date: 2/10/2011
Date Submitted: 2/9/2011
Instructor: John Sorenson

My name is Rory Larkey; I am a tax paying Wisconsin resident who
 is upset about the illegality
of Marijuana in my state. 
Due to the chronic pain in my right shoulder and neck pain, I am in favor of 
legalizing marijuanafor medical use in the state of Wisconsin. 

Our neighboring state of Michigan happens to be a
 legal medicinal marijuana state; whereas
Michigan residents who have certain debilitating
 medical condition such as cancer, glaucoma,
positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, 
acquired immune deficiency syndrome,
hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis, Cohn's disease,
 agitation of Alzheimer's disease,
nail patella, 

Or the treatment of these conditions:
A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its

Treatment that produces, for a specific patient, 1 or more of the following:

Cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe and chronic pain; severe nausea;

Seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy; or

Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those

Characteristic of multiple sclerosis may obtain a medical marijuana card if a qualifying doctor recommends marijuana for medical use.

The card can be obtained from the Michigan Department of Health.


There are certain groups available to help me with my cause; The group NORML (National Organization for the reform of marijuana laws), has been working since the 1970's to provided a voice in the public policy debate for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition and favor an end to the practice of arresting marijuana smokers.

NORML has worked for marijuana law reform in all 50 states. As a result, 13 states have decriminalized marijuana possession (Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon) and 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana initiatives or laws (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington, DC).



Marijuana is illegal in all 50 states on a Federal level; however, under The U.S. Constitution, states have great latitude to craft state laws that, in many instances, are different than federal laws. That is why it is very important that supporters of NORML's law reform efforts work hard at the state-level to effectively educate and lobby their state elected policy makers to substantially change America's corrupt marijuana laws and replace them with legal controls similar to alcohol or decriminalize responsible adult use. Or at least allow it for medical purposes.

An important part of the legislative process is the committee or subcommittee hearing. When advocating for marijuana law reform, you should make sure that representatives of NORML are invited to participate and testify. This will help you in regards to any restrictions you may have to overcome when lobbying for your cause, because of their experience in working with this matter. As open as the American political system is for public debate, this has hardly been the case for marijuana law reform in the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures. For 32 years, testifying before federal, state and local elected officials and commissions, NORML has been charged with being the chief 'spokesperson' for the average marijuana smoker and/or law reform advocate.

However, for this to happen, I will have to gather all my like-minded friends and family to help encourage my local, state and federally elected officials to propose/co-sponsor marijuana law reform legislation or at the very least support its passage and hold hearings on the proposed legislation in the applicable committees.

Legislators are far more inclined to support marijuana law reform legislation and hold public hearings if they, as they must, hear from their voting constituency. (People like you and me)

Also, these legislative hearings give local, state, national and international media the opportunity to cover the subject of marijuana in an even-handed and objective manner. NORML has been waging a media campaign to help educate the public about the harmful effects of marijuana prohibition and to better organize the millions of Americans who do smoke marijuana, The media campaigns are found in radio programs, print ads, outdoor ads, banner ads, and internet.

Legislative committee hearings are crucial to the passage of legislation that stops treating marijuana smokers like criminals.

I plan to tell my elected officials, Scott Walker (R-WI), Luther S. Olsen (R-WI 14th), Joan A. Ballweg (R-WI 41st), President Barack Obama (D), Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Representative Tom Petri (R-WI 6th); that I know the difference between marijuana and more dangerous drugs and between marijuana smoking and violent crime, and that I do not support spending billions of dollars per year incarcerating nonviolent marijuana offenders.