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

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Medical marijuana Bill Moves Ahead In State House

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


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―


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/me....2.950302.html

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

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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.

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come join us on our island.

contact everyone you know and have them contact their legislatures.... have you wrote them in the last few days?
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LOWRIDER JOURNAL Lowrider Grow Journal (In Progress) Blueberry Grow Journal (Complete)
*All content is purely fictional. I love growing Tomato plants*

haha oddly enough i have.

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come join us on our island.

I'm moving to Illinois

im going too

__________________
LOWRIDER JOURNAL Lowrider Grow Journal (In Progress) Blueberry Grow Journal (Complete)
*All content is purely fictional. I love growing Tomato plants*