Commentary: Wirch: Republicans ignore constituents’ pain as they block medical marijuana | Columnists

We have all experienced physical pain in our lives. Worse than feeling pain yourself is watching a loved one suffer.

More than fifty million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Aside from the obvious physical burden on the sufferer, chronic pain puts a mental and emotional burden on entire families and an economic burden on all of us, costing the US an estimated $ 635 billion each year.

The opioid epidemic that has ravaged our country has been fueled by people seeking relief from debilitating pain.

The good news is that there is a safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive way to treat chronic pain. The bad news is that Republicans who control Wisconsin law are preventing our injured friends, neighbors, and family members from accessing this treatment, and they have just announced that they will continue to do so.

Medical marijuana is now legal in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Conservative strongholds like Mississippi, Arkansas, North Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia have all reformed their laws to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes.

Our Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan neighbors can legally obtain medical marijuana to relieve pain or nausea caused by illness. Here in Wisconsin, the public is ready – a 2019 survey by the Marquette Law School found that an overwhelming 83% of Wisconsin voters support medical marijuana legalization. In these deeply divided times, getting 83% of voters to agree on anything is practically unheard of.