cannabisnews.com: Hearing Set For Illinois Medical Marijuana Bill





Hearing Set For Illinois Medical Marijuana Bill
Posted by CN Staff on March 25, 2009 at 06:44:56 PT
State Senate To Debate Bill
Source: CBS News
Springfield, Ill -- The debate over whether to legalize medical marijuana in Illinois will heat up Wednesday in Springfield.A special legislative subcommittee will hold a hearing Wednesday on Senate Bill 1381, a proposal that would legalize marijuana for those suffering from debilitating medical conditions, including some cancers. The 3 p.m. hearing will be followed by a debate by the Senate Public Health Committee.
The bill "permits the person or the person's primary caregiver to legally possess no more than 7 dried cannabis plants and 2 ounces of dried usable cannabis." It is sponsored by State Sens. William R. Haine (D-Alton), Iris Martinez (D-Chicago), and Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-Evanston).A similar, separate bill in the state House of Representatives, called the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, passed the state House Human Services Committee 4-3 on March 9.Sponsor Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said HB 2514 was the first medical marijuana proposal that ever got off the House floor.Lang has said this isn't a drug issue, it's a health issue."We're always talking around this building about how we can make people's lives better, the health care system and all the plans that are out there cost millions and millions and billions of dollars," Lang said earlier thismonth. "Here's something we can do to alleviate pain and suffering, it won't cost the taxpayers a dime."Last time around, a similar bill was narrowly defeated in the Senate. Some people who suffer from painful diseases are hopeful that this time, it's approved.Julie Falco, 43, of Chicago, bakes with cannabis. She says in her 20-year battle with multiple sclerosis - cannabis is the only drug that has relieved all of her symptoms."My high for me, yeah, I'm high, I'm so happy that wow, I found something that relaxes all that pain, and the side effects from all those other drugs I was on, which was keeping me in a zombie-like state and not functioning," Falco said.But there is opposition, and it's strong – especially among law enforcement groups.Limey Nargelenas, the deputy director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, says other states with similar laws have reported problems like increased crime around distribution sites and forged medical cards.Source: CBS News (US Web)Published: March 25, 2009Copyright: 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc.Website: http://www.cbsnews.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/t8kOWYYQCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 25, 2009 at 16:00:46 PT
Med Marijuana Proposal Takes a Small Step Forward
By Kari Andren, Post-Dispatch Springfield BureauMarch 25, 2009SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A proposal to allow marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes was approved today by an Illinois Senate panel.The bill (SB 1381) by state Sen. William Haine, D-Alton, would allow marijuana to be used to alleviate chronic pain and suffering caused by a strict list of conditions when patients have experienced harmful side effects from other treatments.The proposal passed out of a Senate subcommittee, but it has a long way to go before becoming law. The bill now goes before the full Public Health Committee and, if approved, would only then go to the Senate floor.The Illinois State Police are opposing the measure, citing concerns with allowing approved patients to grow the medicinal marijuana in their home and permitting patients to grow seven plants. Mark Henry, a captain with the State Police, said seven plants would produce more than 3,500 joints per year, meaning a patient would have to smoke about nine joints a day to use all the marijuana grown. Henry said the State Police are concerned extra marijuana will end up on the street, not used for medicinal uses.URL: http://drugsense.org/url/mvLJpsnl
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Comment #2 posted by George Servantes on March 25, 2009 at 12:13:42 PT
Cops are always againt cannabis
Their job should only be to enforce laws... Who cares what some policeman thinks.
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Comment #1 posted by christ on March 25, 2009 at 07:06:45 PT
opposing points
Nargelenas is concerned about increased crime around distribution sites and forged medical cards.I don't recall reading anything about distribution sites in the Illinois bills. So maybe forged medical cards are the only applicable concern. How do forged cards adversely affect us?
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