Illinois Medical Marijuana bill introduced.

Will this be the year Illinois finally enacts a medical marijuana law?



Last update: February 24, 2009
Every year since 2004, modern medical marijuana legislation has been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. In 2007, current Senate President John J. Cullerton's medical marijuana bill finally got a floor vote. Unfortunately, it was narrowly defeated 22-29, with eight senators not voting or voting "present."
This year, medical marijuana bills have been introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly — SB 1381 and HB 2514. With an ex-prosecutor sponsoring SB 1381 and a bipartisan bill in the house, patients, doctors, nurses, clergy, and concerned Illinoisans from all walks of life are hoping to see this compassionate legislation enacted in 2009.
Please send your legislators an e-mail today letting them know that you support allowing seriously ill patients to use marijuana if their physician recommends it.
Under the provisions of the "Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act," state registered patients and caregivers would be protected from the threat of arrest for engaging in the medical use of marijuana if they possess no more marijuana than is necessary to maintain an "adequate supply." Until the Department of Public Health determines how much medical marijuana constitutes an adequate supply, cardholders would be presumed to be within the bounds of the law if they possess no more than seven marijuana plants and 2 ounces of marijuana. The law, if enacted, would sunset in three years, at which time the General Assembly would decide whether or not to make the law permanent.
Here are a few more things you can do to ensure this legislation is a success this year.
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you have not already, please subscribe to our free legislative alert service to stay up-to-date on the status of marijuana policy reform in Illinois.


http://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/

Good stuff. Its about time Illinois started doing good instead of being corrupt.

Technically, medical marijuana is already legal in Illinois. Passed in the late 70s early 80s I believe. However it gave complete authority of the implementation of the legislation to some department which has never authorized it. So any Governor, including Quinn, could have directed that department to start a program. No Governor has done so.

And I'm afraid as long as Michael Madigan is the Speaker of the Illinois House and State Democratic Party Chair (~28 years now), there will never be medical marijuana in Illinois. You will have to get rid of him first, or buy him off. Sad but true.

Can this Michael Madigan deny this bill? Or is there a way to still get it approved? Missouri also has a MMJ bill in the house but it hasnt been enacted on yet.

If Ill legalizes it then im moving across the border

Medical Marijuana Bill Moves Ahead In State House

Sponsor Lou Lang: 'We Have A Responsibility To Alleviate Pain And Suffering'


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―

http://cbs2chicago.com/slideshows/hottest.redheads.celebrities.20.948168.html
A state House committee on Wednesday passed a bill that will legalize medical marijuana in Illinois if approved.

HB 2514, also called the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, passed the state House Human Services Committee 4-3, according to an aide for State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), who is sponsoring the bill.

Lang said it is the first time a House proposal for medical marijuana has ever gotten off the floor. He told CBS 2 that he expects to work hard in the coming week telling colleagues in the state House "that we have nothing to fear from this bill, and we have a responsibility to alleviate pain and suffering for the citizens of Illinois."

The bill specifies that marijuana can alleviate pain for patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, Chron's disease and several other disorders.

Pointing to those with pain or nausea from chemotherapy, Lang said other than medical marijuana, "People cannot get relief in any other place, except totally sedating and debilitating medication that makes them unable to cope with life."

"Strong evidence shows that this is very significant help to them in their life, and I don't understand why anybody would be against this," Lang said.

He said political posturing was to blame for opposition to the bill. Critics of medical marijuana legislation have raised concerns about abuse of the law. Since California became the first state to approve medical marijuana in 1996, many complaints have arisen that doctor's notes are too easy to obtain and that the law has resulted in the opening of storefront dispensaries.

Lang said the Illinois bill is highly controlled with built-in restrictions.

""This is a very controlled bill. It doesn't allow anyone to have more than seven plants," Lang said. "Second, we have to be able to trust the medical community." He said there is little outcry when doctors prescribe massive amounts of morphine, Vicodin or codeine to alleviate pain.

"It's only when you start talking about cannabis that people start talking about that, because they're looking for an excuse to be against the bill," he said.

If approved, the medical marijuana law would expire in three years, after which point it would have to be renewed. If problems or abuses arose, Lang said, "after three years, we could always let the law expire and be done with it."

Lang said he has not yet spoken with Gov. Pat Quinn about the bill, but anticipates that Quinn will support it.

A total of 13 states now permit medicinal marijuana in some form, although marijuana remains illegal in all forms under federal law. Scenes of federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents raiding marijuana dispensaries in California have been frequent in recent years.

"We have 13 states today that allow the use of cannabis for medical reasons, and they haven't shut down those operations," Lang said. "Secondly, the Obama administration has already signaled publicly that they don't have an interest in making this part of their law enforcement priority list."

Lang said he has not yet spoken with Gov. Pat Quinn about the bill, but anticipates that Quinn will support it.

State lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to pass a medical marijuana bill previously, although not in the House. A similar bill passed out of a state Senate committee in 2007, but failed in the full Senate.

Technically, Illinois authorized medical marijuana in 1978. But implementation was left to the Public Health Department and it never took action, so the law has been in limbo.

The movement on the medical marijuana legislation came the same day as a Chicago Sun-Times columnist's call to repeal the federal prohibition.

Steve Huntley wrote in support of an effort by a California state lawmaker to legalize marijuana, regulate it similarly to alcohol, and tax it at a rate of $50 per ounce, which would require a change in federal law to enact.

Huntley said fully legalizing marijuana could both raise tax revenue and cut down enforcement costs, and to help curb the violence associated with the drug trade.

"Marijuana prohibition no longer makes sense, if it ever did," Huntley wrote. "For the record, my recreational chemical of choice is alcohol. After the sun sets, I like to enjoy a glass of wine or scotch. Why shouldn't my neighbor, if so inclined, be able to relax with a joint?"

Lang said he saw Huntley's column on Wednesday, and said of the latest California proposal, "I think it's far too early to go there."

"California is talking about legalizing marijuana because they think it will help their economy," Lang said. "They want to turn marijuana into a tobacco product to help their budget gap," a move he called "cynical."

Some Illinois municipalities have reduced the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana in recent years. In south suburban Chicago Heights, a law was recently passed that made possession of less than 30 grams result in a ticket and an administrative hearing, rather than criminal charges.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/medical.marijuana.bill.2.950302.html

KICK ASS!!! This is promising for the midwest area.. ill deff move across the border to ill if it passes.

Next tuesday the senate version of the bill gets voted on by the committee of public health (I think that's the correct committee)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

contact everyone you know and have them contact their legislatures.... have you wrote them in the last few days?
\

Kant said:

Next tuesday the senate version of the bill gets voted on by the committee of public health (I think that's the correct committee)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Click to expand...

greenearth5 said:

contact everyone you know and have them contact their legislatures.... have you wrote them in the last few days?
\

Click to expand...

haha oddly enough i have.

I'm moving to Illinois

im going too

dduo420 said:

I'm moving to Illinois

Click to expand...

well don't jynx it. it's not a done deal.

Medical Cannabis Hearings in Springfield on Wed. March 25

Senate Bill 1381 will have two hearings on Wednesday, March 25. The first one will be for the subcommittee and then it will have a hearing in the Senate Public Health committee later that same day. The hearings will start at 3:00 PM in room 212 of the Capitol Building.

House Bill 2514 was voted out of the Human Services committee 4-3 and will have a second reading sometime between now and May 22. It will likely take place once the sponsor and lobbyist are confident that they have the votes needed to pass the legislation.Please contact your State Senator and State Representative and urge them to support these bills.

Call 217.782.2000 and have the operator connect you to their Springfield offices.

OK friends, we've made it through the senate committee. Now we have to make it through the full house, full senate and past the governer.

We've completed step 2 out of 5.

Everybody......


......

The state Senate Public Health Committee has given the go-ahead for a bill that would legalize marijuana for medical use in Illinois.
Feds to Lighten Up on Medical Marijuana Sales






Attorney General Eric Holder recently hinted that the D.E.A. may be going easier on medical marijuana sales under the Obama administration.






Senate Bill 1381 is a companion to a similar bill introduced in the House. Its next stop is a vote on the full floor of the Senate. If it passes there, the bill will move on to the Illinois House Rules Committee.
The committee passed the bill Wednesday on a 6-3 vote. It would require patients be diagnosed with a "debilitating medical condition" and have a doctor's recommendation for using pot as a treatment. Qualified patients and their primary caregiver would have to register with the Illinois Department of Public Health for an ID card. They'd then be able to possess up to seven pot plants and 2 ounces of dried pot.
The act would automatically be repeated three years after it goes into effect unless lawmakers renew it.

sweet man... i might half to move across the border

subscribed

watching this more closely.

Haine, Lang and Soros work towards Illinois pot legalization

Illinois State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) told Capitol reporters today that he's amended his marijuana use bill to make his colleagues more comfortable, and is fairly certain he has the votes to pass SB 1381 in the Illinois Senate. He expects to call it next week.State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Chicago) said he's not so certain he can get the bill passed in the House right now, but is hopeful the measure to legalize pot consumption for the chronically or terminally ill can become law. Lang said he's not received one call or email against the legislation and over 500 in support of it.

Haine said marijuana users will be able to grow up to seven plants for their own use and will be prohibited from driving if they obtain a marijuana use prescription from their doctors. He said the California law was poorly written, and that Illinois' law will provide for more stringent regulations.



All this lines up well with the Obama Administration's more lackadaisical approach to marijuana law enforcement. Towards the end of March,U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the U.S. government would back off enforcing federal drug laws on those who've obtained a doctor's permission to use marijuana. While states like Illinois are moving towards legalization of pot usage, federal law has not moved yet towards legalizing any use of cannabis -- smoked or ingested.

The Medical Marijuana Project, the lobbying arm of this movement nationwide, is well-funded by liberal financier George Soros.

To view Senator Haine and Rep. Lang's press conference today in Springfield, go to www.blueroomstream.comand type in "silver" then "silverweb" for entry.


http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2009/04/haine-lang-and-soros-work-towards-.html


Everyone in Illinois get on the phone tomorrow and call your people in Springfield and express your disgust at this change in the bill.

Good luck misshestermoffitt with your campaign in Illinois...we're just in the formative stages now in North Carolina so I'll be watching the developments in Illinois.

That is a pretty ludicrous amendment to the bill to prohibit people from driving. I'd be pissed too.

I've already nagged them by e-mail and am planning a nag session by phone later today.

Yet these are the same guys who have the 3 martini lunch, pop a few pills and then drive back to the office.......

misshestermoffitt said:

Haine said marijuana users will be able to grow up to seven plants for their own use and will be prohibited from driving if they obtain a marijuana use prescription from their doctors. He said the California law was poorly written, and that Illinois' law will provide for more stringent regulations.

Everyone in Illinois get on the phone tomorrow and call your people in Springfield and express your disgust at this change in the bill.

Click to expand...

Which representative wrote that into the language?
And what was the exact language?
It can't possibly indicate a full revoking of all driving rights, maybe just a provision that states to not drive within an 8-hour period or something? And a full revoke of the driver's license and MMJ license, should the patient be found guilty of a cannabis-DWI ? That would seem at least more sensible than a full revoke of all driving priveleges as a pre-condition to recieving the MMJ license.

Do you have a link to the exact language that refers to this addition in the legislation?