Appleton discusses supporting push to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin

Mica Soellner | Appleton Post-Crescent

APPLETON - The city may be on its way toward supporting efforts to push the state to legalize medical marijuana.

An informational meeting regarding a resolution submitted by Alderwomen Christine Williams and Patti Coenen to support state legislation that would legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes was held Wednesday by the Board of Health.

"I was following Outagamie County’s decision to also urge the state to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons," Williams told the board.

Voters in 16 Wisconsin counties can find referendums in the November election asking their opinion on different areas of cannabis legalization, from personal use to medicinal use to the decriminalization of the drug.

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While Outagamie County did not meet the deadline to hold a referendum this fall, the county has started talks to potentially have a referendum in the spring with the focus being on medicinal marijuana.

City Health Officer Kurt Eggebrecht provided the board researched studies on the drug and said it is important to understand the function of cannabis as a medical aid.

"As a medicine, marijuana’s been used for centuries," Eggebrecht said.

"Certainly, there’s a group that does it for the high or the thrill of using the drug, but there’s a large population that already uses this medical marijuana, using street marijuana for that purpose, and I think that’s an important distinction."

While no action was taken at this meeting, Coenen said she is confident in getting the city on board.

"If people do the reading, do the research … I think the positives far outweigh the negatives of approving this," Coenen told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

"People want to be able to use it medicinally. Doctors want to be able to use it medicinally."

Eggebrecht said the states that have legalized medical marijuana attract people to live there.

"We know that people are actually moving to states where it is legal for that purpose to get medical marijuana for their children or other chronic illnesses," Eggebrecht said.

Currently, nine states and the District of Columbia allow limited legal marijuana use. Medical marijuana use is legal in 31 states and Washington, D.C.

The resolution will be brought back to the Board of Health on Nov. 14.