Pure Madnesson

If Madison Alderman Mike Verveer has his way, the city could have its very first hash bar in the near future. Verveer has proposed an amendment to Madison's wide sweeping smoking ban that currently bans smoking in nearly all workplaces, including all bars and restaurants. The current ordinance also does not allow chewing tobacco in such establishments.

Verveer's proposed changes include allowing bar patrons to chew tobacco and also offerring a special "hash bar" license to former cigar bars. An exemption to allow tobacco smoking in cigar bars failed last year. Verveer believes the "hash option may be more palatable to those concerned with the effects of second hand tobacco smoke." Though hash is officially an illegal drug, Verveer and the amendment's cosponsors believe that Madison could make it legal only in defined venues through this ordinance.

To receive a license as a hash bar, an establishment must provide documentation that prior to the smoking ban, at least 10% of its total sales came from tobacco products. Once the ordinance is in place, these bars would need to prove 10% total sales from hash on an annual basis to maintain the license. Verveer says this proposal would "save one small business in my downtown district," adding that, "We owe this to the Maduro."

Alderman Jed Sanborn has agreed to cosponsor this proposal, though he voted against the original cigar bar exemption because it created an unlevel playing field among Madison's taverns. Asked why he changed his mind, Sanborn explains, "The owner of the Maduro, Brian, will likely make future campaign contributions if I come through on this. I would never ask him to do so in exchange for my vote, but if someone sends me money because I do things they like, I certainly won't turn it down."

The proposed change regarding chewing tobacco, according to both Verveer and Sanborn, is simply a fix, as the product should never have been included in the ban in the first place. Most Alderpeople have not publicly taken positions on the hash bar proposal, but the change for smokeless tobacco seems to have widespread support. Even Alderwoman Robbie Webber supports it saying, "Mike put a specific provision in the proposal that chewers would have to swallow their residue, and spitting will not be allowed. I hate spit but could care less if people give themselves mouth cancer." A source close to Webber claims that the alderwoman once reached for her beer, accidentally grabbing a discarded spit-cup, and vomitted for 2 full days after the incident. Since then, she's been adamantly anti-spit.

Tobacco Free Dane County spokesman and former Madison Alderman Gary Poulsen, says the group is diametrically opposed to Verveer's proposal. According to Poulsen, "This is a slippery slope. First we allow chewing tobacco and hash, and before you know it people will be smoking crack in our taverns. After crack, we know that the next step will likely be the return of cigarettes to our bars. We can't afford to take this giant slide backwards."