Safe?
Get this state out of debt?

Let's get marijuana profits out of the hands of criminals and into the pockets of politicians. Not perfect, but better.

yeah Nicole!

Making marijuana "medically" legal will do nothing to change illegal users of the drug,
You are assuming most users are using the drug for medicinal purposes. I think not.

Bill

The experience in the states that have medical MJ is that the street price drops
so yes, money would be taken out of the gangs....

another interesting fact is that in the states that have legal medical MJ, fatal traffic accidents have dropped by 10%

But you are probably correct, most people that smoke do so for pleasure

It would also reduce the expense of arresting marijuana "criminals" who are busted for using, "housing" them in county jail, and trying them through the court system. What a waste of taxpayer dollars!

No, it will not. Wasn’t that the proposal used to get casinos in Illinois? That worked!

Nightcrawler

this is once again a relevant question as the bill passed the committee again - and this time looks like it has the votes to pass the Illinois house

Money out of criminal pockets and into politician's pockets? Please explain the difference.

As a side note, if you're AGAINST marijuana, you should support hemp......illegal pot growers don't want to be anywhere near a hemp field as it will cross pollinate their pot and ruin it.........

Why not legalize everything that is against the law and tax it. We have opened the state to gambling, now drugs, next in line is open prostitution as long as it's taxed...
Where do we draw the line???

Bill
Marijuana should never been made illegal in the first place.....it was perfectly legal until 1937......

James....
My wife has MS, here in Illinois to control her pain, muscle spasms, and insomnia,
the Dr has her taking the following drugs before bed: Ambien (for the insomnia)
Valium (for the muscle spasms) and Oxycontin (for the pain)
OR
She could eat 1/2 a brownie (we tried this on a trip to California) the brownie works better, isn't addictive and won't destroy her liver like the legal drugs she has to take.....she won't use it here because it's illegal and is afraid of getting busted

So yes, I'm for medical marijuana......it does help real people with real pain

And as a follow up thought...the state already taxes: booze, tobacco, gambling, and strippers ....do you use any of these?

james I do not do drugs and do not think children should do drugs,but do you or the government think you can tell an adult what can put in there body?

rb....When the effects of drugs affect drivers, esp. teenagers driving one ton cars...or even truck drivers driving massive machines with incredible momentum...uh yeah. The government should get involved if these folks are going to endanger our children! I think all MADD MOMS out there would agree! Good Lord. I can't believe we are having this moronic discussion at all in 2013 to be honest. I guess what they say is right....humans tend to not remember their past after so long and repeat the same problems over again. For those of you who keep quoting how marijuana was legal in the 30's and earlier...come on! How do you know what it was like back then in the days of lawlessness? Puleez.

JR
I like your quote "humans tend to not remember their past after so long and repeat the same problems over again." You're talking about prohibition, right ?
you know - gangs fighting over booze distribution, people buying booze on the black market, corrupt cops and politicians from all the illegal booze money.....

And again, google " traffic fatalities in states with medical marijuana"
states with legal medical MJ have seen their traffic fatalities FALL by 9%

given those statistics, I would think that MADD would support this

bf...Are traffic fatalies down bec. everyone is driving 15 mph in a 45mph lane?

Better make sure your 'fun' brownies do not get into the hands of your grandchildren!

James, they are simply saying that as an added benefit, it could help the economy. Taxing it is not the primary reason people want medical marijuana made legal.

Alcohol is legal and it harms many and costs Illinois in money and lives. If you haven't lived with someone that suffers from chronic pain and cannot keep food down even with all the anti-nausea drugs, you might see it differently.

The question is to legalize medical marijuana, not marijuana. Take a look at the side effects of almost all legal prescription drugs (tuberculosis, bleeding, death, and even lethargy, to name a few). This would help many who suffer with pain and other chronic conditions.

Yes we do, Paul. Alcohol is much more dangerous

Alcohol kills thousands every year and researchers have determined a lethal dose, Marijuana has yet to kill anyone, and researchers have given up on trying to find a lethal dose

As for your comment about lower productivity....Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Carl Sagan, the last three presidents, (just to name a few) all smoked........and having owned a business ....I'd rather have an employee that smoked last night than one that's hungover

Paul, do you mean 'people' such as Steve Jobs, John Lennon... and at the end of the list of usual, globally recognized suspects, Albert Einstein?
Your 'proven's' and facts are neither and guessing from the way in which you worded them, sounds like you might be hanging over....

The House bill is extremely restrictive on who can use medical marijuana. It's not as if this bill allows candy stores to start selling it. Marijuana has medically proven properties that are beneficial to many patients. Why should they continue to suffer when relief exists that can help them? How can anyone compare a cancer patient to a hooker's john?

Thanks, Pat, for the terrific history lesson. Those pesky facts cloud the discussion for people who have already made up their minds about this issue - or any issue for that matter. Those of us who have or had loved ones with serious health problems (cancer, MS, ALS, etc) will tell you that weed is a miracle in alleviating their suffering. It also helps people who are depressed who would otherwise take pharmaceuticals that are far more dangerous.

Procrustes' Foil, I see you've also noticed that facts mean nothing when it gets in the way of opinion...LOL.

I would assume that DUI laws would still apply regardless of the bill. My niece is dying from cancer in so much pain. She hasn't driven in quite some time, as I suspect will be true for many of those who are eligible for medical marijuana.

Thanks for the history lesson.

I knew about the smear campaign but not about the financial and political dealings.
Your timing is excellent. I would urge folks to follow the "Men Who Built America" on the History Channel - the stories expose the unmitigated greed of the "Titans" of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

as often as it becomes a relevant topic??

as the article says, HB1 passed the committee by an 11 - 4 vote and is now going to the full house---the important part is that there are 6 republicans on the committee, so that means at least two of them voted for the bill-----

last session the bill failed by two votes (mostly on party lines), so if these two republicans vote the same way on the full house vote as they did in committee, the bill passes

Hi Rene, I agree

Yes there are...as a matter of fact, someone is arrested for simple marijuana possession (not dealing, not growing, etc) every 42 seconds in the USA, that equals 750,000 arrests per year.....I could think of much better use of our law enforcement officers time than this.....

The question was for medicinal marijuana. Not to be sold at the local store but to be obtained with a Dr. prescription. Marijuana is a much safer and less addicting drug that many including the popular Oxycontin, which is very addicting and over prescribed for chronic pain.

Robin, I think that's pretty unfair (even though I think there are a lot of potheads in this county). Read the bill and don't jump to conclusions. Meth does not equal pot. (Actually, Meth=Ritalin,which is prescribed to millions of children,)

Tea,

You are wrong on both counts. It is addictive fixing as it does to neuronal receptors and given the increase in tolerance, leads to other opiat use. Please read the link I have provided in another comment.

That's bull; I know two pot addicts....and they can't quit.

I haven't yet heard a REALLY good reason not to treat marijuana like cigarettes (a PROVEN killer). Legalize and tax it!

I'm sorry for your loss.

So James,
Is your opposition because you are against medical marijuana?
or is your opposition because you are opposed to providing any more money to the state government??
If it's the first option, do some research, you will find plenty of valid research, (and like mine) - some personnel stories as well that support legalization of medical marijuana
If your opposition is because of your political position - try to see the real help that medical marijuana can and does provide to people, and get over it

No James, you are offering less than genuine sorrow for those who are in grave pain in order that you may sound somewhat compassionate. It's not hard to see that's not quite true. You turn it into a liberal/progressive agenda, indicating that this is just about politics to you. Guess what James... there are conservatives who also believe in legalizing medicinal marijuana.

Kate: What kind of real jobs. Drug Dealers? Sure there's already some around.

Lucas...
.How about store owners, clerks, growers, and processors
Not to mention all of the building trades that would get work outfitting both the stores and grow operations (carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and the generals that hire them)
How about the rental retail space that would get used-
How about the bakery that opens that specializes in "brownies, cookies, oils, tinctures, and more...(FYI most medical MJ is eaten, not smoked...)

Oh, the the people losing jobs....those drug dealers you mentioned..

Thanks, Pete.

Medicinal use of opiates remains legal today, in virtually every country in the world Are you suggesting it be outlawed?

When people stop comparing marijuana to opiates.

if by 'we' you mean all 5% of the total population that is America... 'We' already consume 85% of all the globally prescribed opiates... we'd be a whole lot healthier if the answer only were blowin' in the wind...

Donna
good point....
also last session the bill was just 2 votes short of passing the house
this time there is even more support....that 11 - 4 committee vote means that at least two Republicans on the committee voted for it (There are 6 repubs on the committee) if those same two vote for the bill in the full house vote - it will pass

Tetrahydrocannabinol, FDA approved "pot pills" are already available for prescription. So why lobby for the weed? Ah, because it's not about medical use at all if we're talking about taxing it is it?

GG
The FDA pot pills : Marinol, & Savetix ....both are worthless, the pharma co's isolated just one component of marijuana .....the part of the reason marijuana works is the interplay between several different compounds THC & CBD being the most notable.
In my wife's case if we were in a state with legal medical MJ, she would be using a strain higher in the CBD's and lower in THC as those strains give the best pain relief for MS (and also the least amount of "high")
All three of my wife's Drs told her not to bother with the pot pills, that she should ingest real pot instead as it works better (but not to tell them - the drs- about it, because it's illegal here)
and yes ....I feel it's very hypocritical to tax it.....but if this is way way to get it legal, then this is what I will support

don't forget dealing with cell phones and texting while driving

JR
You're living in a dream world if you think that this isn't already happening--
and it has been happening forever- I was in high school in the early 70's and the kids were driving stoned then (I couldn't smoke or drink then, as I ran 5 miles every morning then had a 2 1/2 hour practice every afternoon) but my kids tell me when they were in high school, it was easier for them to get pot than beer .....

Could result in increased DUI's.......

JR
Go have an HONEST talk with your kids---ask them if it is easier for them or "their friends" to get pot or beer right now....If as was the case when I was in High school , or when my kids were in high school (last one graduated in 2008) the answer will be that pot is much easier to get......why? because nobody is carding them or their friends if they're trying to buy pot.....
For fun, do a little research on Portugal, they decriminalized ALL drugs (pot, coke, heroin, etc) about 10 years ago...and their rates of drug use have fallen every year

JR
also for fun, research " traffic fatalities in states with medical marijuana"

you will find that on average that states that have legal medical MJ have seen their fatalities FALL by 9%

so I guess what I'm saying is - stop listening to the propaganda, and do your own research and then make up your mind

bf14..... 9 or 10%, bull. Show the proof.... If you are talking about Colorado and Washington where they only have a lot more open land than we do...that won't count. We are a very busy and populated suburbia and you know darn well there will be more accidents and problems. I saw what the 70's did to families..that is why so many people are against alcohol and so on and why there are so many laws against all of this. To say that the kids can still get it easy is just a lame excuse...legalizing any drug will make it 10x more easier for them to get it, then what? Do you not care about what the parents, teachers and others will have to put up with what they did back in the 70's with other drugs and alcohol? This is irritating to say the least that some grown ups want legalization of a drug that could harm our children in the future, not only physically, but mentally. I would like to hear a police chiefs, teacher's, principals, doctor's and nurses version of this whole matter...

OK JR, I'll do it for you

try this link http://pages.uoregon.edu/bchansen/MML_Alcohol_Consumption.pdf

this is a study of ALL 17 states that have legal medical MJ (and last I looked downstate Illinois is pretty empty/rural and a whole lot flatter than either Washington or Colorado, and last I checked , both Denver Co, and Seattle Wa were fairly large cities )

And again, your logic fails with the "Lets protect the KIds" by whom and how is pot being regulated now? who is checking ID's for pot buyers?

and your comment about what drugs did to families in the 70's ---I lived it, I have a brother that had to go into rehab for heroin, so I understand that....how did he get started on the heroin? his dealer sold him pot laced with it....

I want to protect my kids, your kids, all kids from that ever happening, and the only way is to legalize, and regulate

Actually it seems that Adderall is easier to get than both of those put together. Adderall is a controlled substance, as I assume medical marijuana would be. There are a lot of drugs in mom's and dad's medicine cabinet that are legal and much worse than pot. Singling out pot makes no sense.

Btw bf.....Oregon or for that matter most of the states in the west cannot compare to the populated counties of the east or midwest. Hawaii or any other island doesn't count either. Chicagoland is huge and super crowded and we cannot afford 'more' high drivers than we already have on the road and in boats, etc! More kids will be high in school and why would we all want that for them just to satisfy others own petty needs to be high as a kite all of the time?

Jr
As I am reading thru this story and comments, every time I read a crazy way out there excuse to keep it illegal I see it’s your name listed. You make it sound like it’s the end of the world with rivers running red and locusts in the sky. 18 states have legalized it in some form or another and the sun still rose the next day and the teenagers didn’t run rampant and run every one down as you seem to think. What color is the sky in your world? If you think people aren’t driving stoned now you are a camel with your head in the sand. Kids as we speak are driving to school high and it’s not anarchy in the streets. I don't use it but have been around when younger and I’ll take all the cars on the road stoned rather than one drunk driver. Have you ever heard a news headline saying Stoned teens die in car accident? NO. If your kids want weed all they have to do is go to school and they can buy it. It was all over my high school 25 years ago and it’s all over my daughter’s school now. Nothing will change except dealers won’t make the money selling it, store owners and our tax coffers will make the profit. It’s all ready in every school in America, if your kids want it they can get it easier than beer. Legalizing it just removes the criminal element.

Parents can control where they put their prescription drugs! Prescription drugs are not sold freely in stores, etc. They are hard to get and not every kid uses them...but if this Marij. gets legalized, then kids who never did drugs may be tempted to use the stuff if it is "legal". Marijuana does cause problems, you are naive if you think it doesn't! High school and college kids will not be responsible with marijuana just because it became legal! Think about the kids and all the parents and siblings who will be affected by this legalization!

JR
Re-read my earlier post to you....if pot is legalized, it will have the same rules as alcohol, no sales to minors, dui limits, etc.....compare that to the situation today, no rules what so ever....
and you are naive if you think that any kid that wants pot can't get it right now....

for example, I quit smoking when my first child was born 28 years ago, but if I wanted to smoke some tonight - I would have to make, at most, two phone calls

take off your blinders ---pot is more readily available to kids than beer, if you want to protect the kids, it needs to be legalized and regulated...

Then why make it even easier for the kids? ...Is this really just for dopes like yourself who want to be able to smoke this garbage in the parks and wherever they feel like in front of everyone to see and especially smell? How lovely that will be for the normal folks out there trying to live a better life than trying to get high all of the time!

JR
I want to make it HARDER for the kids.....by legalizing and regulating- so you have to show ID's to buy, so you have to be over 21 to buy, so you know that what you're buying is inspected and not laced with anything else,

Again I ask you, talk to your kids, ask them which is easier for them to get right now, pot or beer? wouldn't you rather they get carded? wouldn't you rather know that they can't buy unless they're over 21?

And my interest in supporting this, is for my wife to be able to control her pain caused by MS -without having to take the combination of Oxycontin, Valium , and Vicodin all of which are addictive and cause liver damage

So does butter.

Vicky please site the study that proves this.....

Vicky, if you are so concerned with individual rights, why are you against legalizing medicinal marijuana? Shouldn't that be an individual's choice? They would be using at their own risk, just as drinkers do, so it doesn't infringe upon you at all (unless someone driving under the influence causes harm to you or your family, but alcohol can do the same).

@Sully: actually, I have no issue with medical marijuana; but you know that it will be overprescribed as many medicines today are. Someone smokes some reefer 3 days prior, causes an accident (that may kill someone), and gets a D.U.I.. It actually happened recently in Skokie; a woman that had smoked pot killed a little boy. The problem is that pot stays in your system a lot longer than alcohol does; how will that be sorted out........? Another thing: shouldn't habitual weed smokers (and drug users in general) be subject to higher health premiums as the obese and smokers are about to be under Obamacare, since it CAUSES CHF? Personally, I think that it is fair. Lousy drivers pay higher premiums, right?

Vicky, once again, please cite a study that proves Marijuana causes CHF.
I searched for two hours last night (I'm really pretty boring) and couldn't find one.

Oh, and smokers and obese people have ALWAYS paid more for health insurance - and if you're to obese they won't even sell it to you (to clarify, I'm talking about individual coverage NOT group insurance--but they will still charge the group more)......same with drug use or alcoholism......if you've been in treatment, the insurance companies won't cover you
None of this is new or caused by Obamacare......

Parkay

Vicky....I support your use of real butter

However, I must disagree with the rest of your post, please remember that "Correlation is not the same as Causation" 40% of Americans are obese -are you saying that 40% also smoke MJ?
The smartest guy in my fraternity was also an all-american swimmer and went on to get a masters in computer programming..this is a man that started every single morning by smoking a joint.....
My father died of CHF, he never smoked anything....but both his father and uncle died of the same thing......
As for your friends Dr.....I'll raise you ...all three of my wife's MDs told her she would be better off using pot, than the combo of Ambien, Valium, and Oxycontin, that she takes at bedtime to control her MS pain

You have weed-smoking friends?

@bigfoot: $500 a month more......? http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57565787/older-smokers-priced-out-of-obamacare/

Vicky.....again health insurance for anyone over the age of 50 is expensive
for example: I'm a 56 year old male, I'm 6' 3" and weigh 235 and am in good shape
if I renew my current health policy ($5000 deductible, with an 80/20 co-pay) it will be $412 per month.....that same policy if I was a smoker, would cost $618 per month

There will be added benefits to the policies once the ACA (Obamacare) is in full effect in January - the two most notable being maternity and mental health coverage....the mandatory maternity coverage alone is expected to add $200 per month to the cost of the policies.

do you drink?

For a seriously ill person, they have nothing to lose anyway.....but a young, healthy person actually has a lot to lose. Perpetuating falsehoods about the risks of marijuana use is unfair, just as the lies the medical community have been telling women for years about in-vitro and risks of the Pill are.

Parkay brand offer tasty and creamy soft margarine spreads, with no cholesterol. Brand is owned by Conagra Foods.

As far as the drinking and weed-smoking friends, I know many heavy users of both. the years have not been kind to them and all of them regret ever starting. This is Illinois, after all; brain-dead Lib land.

Really Vicky...."brain-dead Lib land". If Illinois is so bad you are free to move somewhere else.

Why do you feel the need to resort to name calling. I don't see folks with the opposite view, Bigfoot, Jim, Sully to name a few, resorting to name calling. Grow up argue the issues only.

Jim
absolutely true....my wife's MD's just moved her off of Vicodin because she had built up a tolerance for it.....so now she is on Oxycontin to control pain...I would much rather have her eating brownies than taking this stuff......but due to the legal situation, she'd rather not get busted

@Donna M. -house is for sale; you want it? As far as the name calling goes, you apparently haven't met Just Sayin (a.k.a. Just Lyin' ) yet.

@Donna M - here are some real live brain-dead Libs for your viewing pleasure (or to be used as a natural replacement for ipecac syrup): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gXOV_XWJck

Vicky

That's quite funny and a bit scary

Back at you Vicky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgfzknYd20

And to repeat my answer - the pot pills are worthless, Marinol & Savitex (the two legal pills) only isolate one component of MJ and for the best effect you need several of the components (thc & cbd the most widely known)
None of my wife's 3 MD's suggest that she use them..... they all 3 told us she would be better off ingesting it...
And again I agree, it's hypocritical to tax it, but if that's what it takes to make it legal, then that's what I'll support

Where I grew up it was against the law for men to go shirtless when outside.

If a sick person (or any person, for that matter) really wanted some weed, I really don't think a law one way or the other would stop them from obtaining it or using it anyway........kind of the same thing as gun laws.

Ingest doesn't mean you have to smoke it.

Clinton didn't inhale

Brownies are better. Great in milkshakes, too. Or sprinkle a little on your cornflakes in the morning.

So I guess everyone who is for legalizing marijuana would prefer to legalize all control substances bec. it helps with some form of pain.... If pot gets legalized then it will be something else next time....and our kids will eventually pay for it later, if not now.

JR

I'm sorry to hear of your condition. My wife has MS, and for her eating a brownie before bedtime worked very well (we tried this in California) and it worked better than the Vicodin she was on at the time.
She has since built up a resistance to Vicodin and the Dr has moved her up to Oxycontin
There are many strains of medical marijuana out there - for my wife we wanted a strain high in the cbd component and low in the thc component as that type provides greater pain relief and less "high"

Also eating instead of smoking, increases the length of pain relief, and also reduces the high.
Medical marijuana is a valid treatment for my wife's MS, and your condition is listed in the bill as well
You don't sound like the type to ever try it, but for my wife it works better then the pills the Dr is offering

What's the percentage of people who started smoking cigarettes because they smoke pot?

better then OBISE AND UGLY

Vicky
I prefer published research over " my friend told me" and so I have been looking for any research that could either prove or disprove your statement - and I couldn't find any.... however, I did find a study that said that If you already have CHF you shouldn't smoke, but that sounds like common sense to me.....

Alcohol is addictive and can be bought in just about any grocery store. Medical marijuana will be a controlled substance that one needs a prescription for. Pot is not being legalized for the general public (although I see little difference between pot and alcohol- an impairment is an impairment regardless of the cause).

I was only commenting that Colorado had a big city ....the rest of Illinois is also very wide open, you ever been south of I 80? farmland central ....
and the study I cited used results from all 17 states with medical MJ, including states like New Jersey & Michigan - all had reductions in traffic fatalities....

Agreed.

What's interesting is the percentages are virtually identical to the Patch poll from last April. That one went 84-15 with 800 respondents.

JR, are you prone to generalizing everything? Maybe you just hung out with the wrong crowd if your story is true. The immediate effect of pot is really no different than alcohol, so maybe we should go back to the prohibition days and make drinking against the law too. JR, we can see you are passionate in your belief, and for you that's fine. You don't have to drink or smoke if you don't want to. But medicinal marijuana can be a very effective method of controlling pain, so why can't others choose to use it?

OK JR
I give up....I can only supply the information that is available.....but, the fact remains, that in the 17 states that have legal medical MJ traffic fatalities have fallen

I agree with Sully that you are very passionate in your belief,
and you and I are going to have to agree to disagree...

So JR, only you are the mature one because you personally don't like marijuana. Sorry, but that does not allow you to dictate what others think or do. It's a personal choice and a good one for those in severe pain. Would you also like to make all prescription medications illegal? Over the counter medicines too? And of course, alcohol would have to be prohibited again (after all, it worked so well the first time). What right do you have JR, to take the choices of others away?

JR
I'm a 56 year old, college educated, small business owner,
with three grown children and one grandchild, .....YES I want it legal,

.....and yes medical marijuana is legal in ONLY 17 states, and fully legal in 2 more

it (medical MJ) is on the legislative agenda in at least 5 more states
(Illinois, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont) and the odds are that at least one will pass it this year, and more next year
The train has left the station, and more and more states will be jumping on board

What about synthetic marijuana which is made from all legal substances? That stuff is worse than the real thing, but it's being sold in stores. I think it is becoming illegal slowly in some places, but the point is, legal medical marijuana isn't going to lead masses of kids heading for the local drug store. If they want to get high, there are other things they can get.

LOL!!!

One small glass of red wine....will not impair someone's vision or brain function so bad that they cannot walk or talk straight or make good decisions when driving. But, one puff or pill of marijuana could very well do all that. Peace out Dudes, I have things to do...voiced my opinion and made my point. :)

You made your point that you want to regulate what others do just because JR says so.