Could Illinois Pass A Medical Marijuana Bill?
Lou Lang (D-Skokie) is hopeful that medical marijuana, or House Bill 0030, will pass this January, saying, "Nobody should fear the bill."
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Illinois House member Lou Lang (D-Skokie) has been pushing two controversial bills in recent years: the expansion of Illinois gaming and the legalization of medical marijuana.
Whenever asked about the possibility of Illinois becoming the nineteenth state to legalize the green leafy substance, Lang is always optimistic. Two years ago, he told Patch he only needed to secure "two or three" votes to pass the bill. That never came to fruition.
However, other states have recently passed similar bills and Lang hopes Illinois could be the 19th state to legalize the drug for medicinal use. Recently, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia passed medicinal marijuana laws. Meanwhile, Colorado and Washington have actually legalized recreational marijuana use during the November general election.
But for Lang the legalization of medical marijuana isn't about recreation use - it's about helping people who can benefit tremendously from the drug.
"Nobody should fear the bill," Lang told Patch. "This is about quality of life for people."
Lang said he "strongly believes" that lawmakers will be voting on the bill this January, a month known by many as the "lame duck session," where elected officials can vote on a particular bill just before the end of his or her tenure.
"Illinois would be the nineteenth state to pass the bill (the District of Columbia also recently passed the bill)," Lang said. "And of all of those, Illinois will be the most tightly regulated."
What are some of those regulations? According to House Bill 0030:
- Repeal the program after three years. This means the use of medical marijuana would enter a three year pilot program to see how effective the bill is working and, if any tweaks or adjustments need to be made for the future.
- People will not be allowed to drive for six hours after consuming marijuana.
- It would be illegal for marijuana dispensaries to make campaign contributions.
- Those looking to dispense medical marijuana would have to pay a $5,000 non-refundable application fee and a $20,000 certificate fee.
- If passed, a person who can legally smoke medical marijuana can have no more than two ounces of dried usable cannabis at any given time.
- If a caregiver or patient dispenses - or sells - cannabis illegally they will face a penalty of not more than two years in prison and a fine not more than $2,000.
- Also, see PDF image attached above.
Lang said he is "very close" to securing the 60 votes needed to pass the measure to the Senate. If the bill arrives on the Senate's floor, many experts believe they will approve the measure.
In May 2011, Lang's medical marijuana bill received 53 of the 60 votes needed to pass. In November 2010, the bill once again fell short by seven votes and failed to pass to the Senate.
"How do you turn down the people who are sick? Who are in pain." Lang said. "People who haven't been able to have a quality life. This is not a bill about drugs. This is a bill about health care."
Harry Gio
9:37 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
BY LEGALIZING THE USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA OR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA (FOR ADULTS), IT WOULD COMPLETELY TAKE THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT OUT OF IT AND ALLOW THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAX IT, AS THEY ALREADY DO WITH TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL... THIS WOULD GENERATE SUCH AN INFLUX OF CASH THAT PROPERTY TAXES WOULD EVENTUALLY COME DOWN... FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Harry Gio
9:37 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
IT WOULD ALSO KEEP SUBURBAN / WORKING CLASS PEOPLE FROM ENDANGERING THEMSELVE'S AND OTHERS FROM DRIVING INTO THE INNER-CITY GHETTO TO PURCHASE LOW-QUALITY OR POSSIBLY POISON-LACED MARIJUANA FROM THE STREET GANGS.
Harry Gio
9:37 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
IF MARIJUANA WAS SOLD IN COLLECTIVES OR DISPENSORIES, AS IT'S DONE IN 17 OTHER STATES, ITS USE CAN BE CONTROLLED, REGULATED, TAXED AND MADE SAFE FOR CONSUMERS TO USE... ASSORTED FLAVORS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE LOCALLY AND RAN AS A TAX-GENERATING BUSINESS ------- NOT A DRUG EMPIRE FOR THE INNER-CITY GANGS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY HAVE YOUR CHILDREN TRYING THE HARDER AND PHYSICALLY ADDICTIVE DRUGS LIKE HEROIN... AS FOR THE USE OF MARIJUANA, IT HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO INDUCE HUNGER IN CANCER PATIENTS, TAKE AWAY CHRONIC PAIN, AND IT IS NOT, NOT, NOT ADDICTING... THE ONLY REASON THAT PEOPLE GET ADDICTED TO PAIN MEDICATION IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT HAD THE ABILITY TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA, WHICH WORKS BETTER AND IS NOT ADDICTING... AS FOR THE ADDICTING PAIN MEDICATIONS SUCH AS VICODIN, OXYCODONE, ETC., THOSE PAIN MEDICATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY ABUSED, RESULTING IN HUGE ADDICTIONS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN THE USAGE OF HEROIN.
John Brown
11:11 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
The gateway drug theory has been time and again discounted by actual research. That applies to both marijuana and pain pills. People don't end up taking heroin because of it. There is a correlation, but not a connection.
Harry Gio
9:37 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
I WATCH THESE STATISTICS CLOSELY AND HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE COMMIT A CRIME WHILE USING MARIJUANA... FOR EXAMPLE: LOOK AT CHEECH AND CHONG... THEY SMOKED MORE MARIJUANA THAN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY COMBINED AND STILL NEVER BROKE THE LAW... THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER, SENTENCED TOMMY CHONG TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR SELLING A WATER-COOLED PIPE (A BONG) WHICH IS PERFECTLY LEGAL, BUT WHEN A PICTURE OF HIS FACE WAS ON THE PRODUCT, THAT'S WHEN THEY THREW HIM IN PRISON... HOWEVER, WHEN THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES SELL HIGHLY-ADDICTIVE PAIN MEDICATION, THAT'S OKAY... THAT MAKES ME SICK!!!!!!!!!!
James Hammans
6:05 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Using raw plant material might not be the best medicine, but, until the Controlled Substances Act is amended to allow for the development of cannabis-based medicines, that's the only option left for patients. The fact that there's still a debate over whether or not cannabis has medicinal properties is absurd. The federal government isn't going to change until the states force them to. Tell your reps to vote yes on HB 30.
Annette Flores
11:42 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
This plant was put on this planet just like any other for us to use and cultivate,... just like corn, soybeans, tomatoes,...etc.,,,there are so many uses for this wonderful plant/miracle drug,...LEGALIZE IT, TAX IT, .CREATE THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS,...
denise
8:01 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Think about all the people who have criminal records, the time, effort and expense of
our police and legal system due to pot. Legalize it & tax it. We have much bigger problems to spend our money.