State Rep. Bob Pritchard's (R-Sycamore) weekly newsletter gives his perspective on a Senate bill moving through the Illinois House that would legalize pot in Illinois ...
SB 1381, which would make the use of medical marijuana legal in Illinois, passed to the House floor last week. The legislation provides that a person diagnosed by a physician with a debilitating medical condition may possess up to 7 dried marijuana plants and 2 ounces of dried usable marijuana.
The bill sets up the procedure for issuing a registry identification card and would honor ID cards from any state that has legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. Many proponents of the legislation admit that other states like California who have legalized marijuana have seen a rampant increase in drug use especially among 12 to 17 year olds. Not surprisingly, law enforcement continues to view marijuana as a gateway drug to more serious drug use.
Unfortunately lost in the debate over legalizing marijuana are those truly medically ill. I had the opportunity last week to meet with constituents who are seriously ill and report health improvements and comfort (less nausea, trembling and pain) from using marijuana.
So ... which was do you think Rep. Pritchard is leaning?? Does this mean fairly conservative Republicans are preparing us for the day when "cannabis farm-acies" become the new booming Illinois business and medicial marijuana instructional facilities open throughout the state as they have in California, the first state to legalize pot? If so, get ready to chill out legally if you're in pain.
