cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Bill Advancing in Senate





Medical Marijuana Bill Advancing in Senate
Posted by CN Staff on March 30, 2009 at 06:25:48 PT
By Laura Griffith, The Telegraph
Source: Alton Telegraph
Alton, IL -- An Illinois medical marijuana bill has taken the next step by passing the state Senate Public Health committee and could be well on its way, advocates say. Members voted Wednesday 6-3 to allow seriously ill patients with certain debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana as a medicine without fear of arrest if their doctor has recommended it.The vote clears the way for possible floor votes by the entire Senate and House for the respective bills - a first for Illinois.
Jamie Clayton, 53, of Grafton is a longtime AIDS patient and medical marijuana advocate who participated in a groundbreaking FDA-approved study proving the drug's efficiency in treating pain caused by nerve damage."It's going pretty quick. I'm excited about it," Clayton said about the bill's progress. "We've got a long way to go, but it's made me think a lot more positively that we may get it passed this year. A lot of good people are at least taking notice that it's a reality that cannabis is a good medicine."Clayton said the bill's biggest roadblock continues to be education."I think that we have to put things in context. It's not for everyone. It is a drug. We're not trying to say it is for everybody."What is important is it gives patients options. It may not be the magic bullet, (but) I would like to be able to use cannabis," he said. "If it's out there and it's therapeutic then I want to be able to include it in my therapy."Clayton said that patients who would use it for medicinal purposes are generally smart about taking their medicines and would not abuse it.In addition to its benefits fighting nerve pain, Clayton said the studies he's been involved with show medical marijuana can help patients eliminate the use of heavier narcotics in their treatments, such as hydrocodone and oxycontin."The study (of AIDS patients with peripheral neuropathy) showed that 50 percent of the people got relief," he said.SB 1381, sponsored by three-term former state's attorney Sen. William Haine, D-Alton, is the companion bill to HB 2514, sponsored by Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, which passed the House Health and Human Services Committee, 4-3, on March 4."This is an important step for suffering Illinoisans who rely on medical cannabis because they, in consultation with their doctors, have determined it is the best treatment available to them," Haine said in a press release. "I'm grateful to my colleagues in the public health committee who listened to science and reason today and made the sensible, compassionate decision to pass this bill."Advocates hope state lawmakers will note that 63 percent of Michigan voters approved a similar law last November and that a 2008 statewide poll shows 68 percent support among Illinois voters for such a law.Source: Alton Telegraph, The (IL)Author: Laura Griffith, The TelegraphPublished: March 29, 2009Copyright: 2009 The TelegraphContact:  telegraph thetelegraph.comWebsite: http://www.thetelegraph.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/aeF4BuYCRelated Articles:MMJ Law Getting Further Than Usual in Illinoishttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24638.shtmlMMJ Legalization Measure Passes Committeehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24540.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by BobbyRa on March 31, 2009 at 21:04:14 PT
It has seen some action in both the senate and the
house. Though I don't really understand the exact status of the bill, there is a 3rd reading scheduled for tomorrow.  I am not hearing much negativity out of the legislature, but the state police are out in force basically embellishing any negative that they can create. I just hope that it can get through. I guess we will find out if Senate President Cullerton was being real when he introduced this bill the last two years (I believe). I wonder how much power the Senate President has?Thanks for letting me share a note of hope.  
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 30, 2009 at 14:42:27 PT
Illinois Lawmakers High On Medical Marijuana Bills
URL: http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/03/today_in_medical_marijuana_news.php
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Comment #1 posted by dagman11 on March 30, 2009 at 08:59:42 PT:
Reading today?
I read that there was going to be a reading in the IL senate today about this. Is this true, and does that mean they will vote?
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