Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Contact WI Medical Society to protest patient harassment by SMS
Posted by Gary Storck Thursday, March 25, 2010
For many years, the State Medical Society has been opposing medical cannabis legislation in Wisconsin. On Tuesday March
23, at an informational picket staged by IMMLY, Madison NORML and WI NORML at the SMS offices downtown, we were confronted, provoked and harassed upon arrival by SMS employees behaving like thugs. We were photographed, threatened, and had our personal spaces violated. This is how the SMS responds to seniors, veterans, sick, disabled and dying patients who take issue with their misguided and harmful position on medical cannabis. Please read the post below and contact the SMS to protest their position and mistreatment of patients peacefully picketing their office.
Contact WI Medical Society to protest patient harassment by SMS
Our March 23 informational picket of the Wisconsin State Medical Society was intended to be a way to educate SMS board members attending a meeting. Our small group of medical marijuana patients and supporters went to the SMS as injured parties to protest the opposition of the SMS to AB554/SB368, WI medical cannabis legislation. Patients, including 2 in wheelchairs, suffering from PTSD, fibromyalgia, AIDS, heart disease, glaucoma and other debilitating conditions do not go looking for confrontations.
But it was a confrontation waiting for us. Two low level SMS employees immediately tried to intimidate us, crossing into public space and getting in the faces of a vet with severe PTSD and others. He was rude, arrogant, and was clearly trying to provoke us. His sidekick went to far as to photograph and film us as well as the license plates of vehicles legally parked on public streets.
The public face of the SMS to those who come to air real grievances is threatening goons! An organization that cared if there were a dialogue could have instead sent a non threatening employee to initiate one. Clearly, the SMS is an organization used to getting its way in spite of what the public believes, and as they have successfully fended off medical marijuana with the help of Capitol political allies for decades now, clearly they feel threatened even by patients in wheelchairs who disagree with them.
The Dec. 15 public hearing revealed the vast downside of the legal prescription drugs that built the SMS HQ on the lake. The SMS must feel very threatened by the competition cannabis offers to their toxic drugs. So, they lobby to keep having patients who dare to try cannabis as an alternative being fair game for targeting by law enforcement and arrest and jail. Clearly, the SMS feels jail is a safer alternative than the cannabis plant. And, their "welcome" of Tuesday's informational picket shows they would rather provoke a fight than discuss what their position means to Wisconsin seniors, vets, sick, disabled and dying.
Call The State Medical society and let them know what you think of their threatening and harassing of peaceful protesters on Tuesday March 23!
Please contact the Wisconsin State Medical Society
Susan L. Turney, MD, CEO/EVP Wisconsin Medical Society
330 E. Lakeside Street PO Box 1109 Madison, WI 53701-1109 Main Phone: 866.442.3800 (toll-free) Main Fax: 608.442.3802 Physicians Page | Wisconsin Medical Society Email: communications@wismed.org
Posted by Gary Storck Thursday, March 25, 2010
For many years, the State Medical Society has been opposing medical cannabis legislation in Wisconsin. On Tuesday March
23, at an informational picket staged by IMMLY, Madison NORML and WI NORML at the SMS offices downtown, we were confronted, provoked and harassed upon arrival by SMS employees behaving like thugs. We were photographed, threatened, and had our personal spaces violated. This is how the SMS responds to seniors, veterans, sick, disabled and dying patients who take issue with their misguided and harmful position on medical cannabis. Please read the post below and contact the SMS to protest their position and mistreatment of patients peacefully picketing their office.
Contact WI Medical Society to protest patient harassment by SMS
Our March 23 informational picket of the Wisconsin State Medical Society was intended to be a way to educate SMS board members attending a meeting. Our small group of medical marijuana patients and supporters went to the SMS as injured parties to protest the opposition of the SMS to AB554/SB368, WI medical cannabis legislation. Patients, including 2 in wheelchairs, suffering from PTSD, fibromyalgia, AIDS, heart disease, glaucoma and other debilitating conditions do not go looking for confrontations.
But it was a confrontation waiting for us. Two low level SMS employees immediately tried to intimidate us, crossing into public space and getting in the faces of a vet with severe PTSD and others. He was rude, arrogant, and was clearly trying to provoke us. His sidekick went to far as to photograph and film us as well as the license plates of vehicles legally parked on public streets.
The public face of the SMS to those who come to air real grievances is threatening goons! An organization that cared if there were a dialogue could have instead sent a non threatening employee to initiate one. Clearly, the SMS is an organization used to getting its way in spite of what the public believes, and as they have successfully fended off medical marijuana with the help of Capitol political allies for decades now, clearly they feel threatened even by patients in wheelchairs who disagree with them.
The Dec. 15 public hearing revealed the vast downside of the legal prescription drugs that built the SMS HQ on the lake. The SMS must feel very threatened by the competition cannabis offers to their toxic drugs. So, they lobby to keep having patients who dare to try cannabis as an alternative being fair game for targeting by law enforcement and arrest and jail. Clearly, the SMS feels jail is a safer alternative than the cannabis plant. And, their "welcome" of Tuesday's informational picket shows they would rather provoke a fight than discuss what their position means to Wisconsin seniors, vets, sick, disabled and dying.
Call The State Medical society and let them know what you think of their threatening and harassing of peaceful protesters on Tuesday March 23!
Please contact the Wisconsin State Medical Society
Susan L. Turney, MD, CEO/EVP Wisconsin Medical Society
330 E. Lakeside Street PO Box 1109 Madison, WI 53701-1109 Main Phone: 866.442.3800 (toll-free) Main Fax: 608.442.3802 Physicians Page | Wisconsin Medical Society Email: communications@wismed.org