By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
After two years of a stalemate in the state government, a bill legalizing the use of cannabidiol as seizure treatment may finally become useful.
When State Act 267 – now Lydia’s Law – was passed in April 2014, supporters hailed it as a potential alternative to traditional epilepsy medications.
Sally Schaeffer, a Burlington resident, had fought hard for the bill. Her daughter, Lydia, suffered from seizures as a complication of Kleefstra Syndrome, which caused birth defects in Lydia.
Lydia died on Mother’s Day in 2014, about a month after the bill was signed into law. Later named for Lydia, the bill turned out to have a serious flaw. In order to dispense the CBD oil, doctors had to apply for an FDA investigational license.
That effectively shelved the bill, as doctors couldn’t or wouldn’t support that license to make the oil available.
Next week, though, Republican State Sen. Van Wanggaard of the 21st district expects an alteration to the bill to make it legal to possess the CBD oil.
“We are looking at probably next Tuesday,” Wanggaard said. “It looks like all the stars have aligned correctly.”
State Sen. Leah Vukmir, who is the head the state health and human services committee, helped insert the provision for the FDA license at the last minute in 2014, and has opposed allowing the treatment – which kept an amendment to the bill from passing last spring.
Now, though, Vukmir appears to be on board.
“She actually approached us,” Wanggaard said. “She said, ‘we’re so close on this, I think we can work with you on this.’”
Wanggaard said the bill will at least allow people to legally possess the CBD oil in the state of Wisconsin.
“If they get it to Wisconsin, they won’t have a problem with that,” Wanggaard said.
Wanggaard said the government is working at a federal level to de-classify CBD oil as a Schedule I drug, since the oil has no psychoactive effects.
He did clarify the bill will not advocate for the use of medical marijuana or recreational use of the drug.
“I don’t see that happening any time in the near future,” Wanggaard said of medical marijuana. He added he would never support recreational use of marijuana.
Schaeffer said Tuesday she’s hopeful about the possibility of changes.
“I’m thankful to Robin Vos and Sen. Wanggaard,” said Schaeffer, who has remained active as an advocate to fix the law.
“I’m hopeful that we can find a way to pass this here in Wisconsin and have it work for individuals who want and need this, without them being prosecuted,” she added.
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