Medical Marijuana Bill Defeated in Illinois House

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #666)
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy

Lawmakers in Springfield Thursday voted to reject a bill that would have allowed some Illinois patients access to medical marijuana. The bill, SB 1381, was defeated in the House by a vote of 56-60.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]The measure had passed the state Senate on a 30-28 vote in May, meaning that passage by the House would have sent the measure to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn (D) and made Illinois the 16th medical marijuana state once he signed it.

The bill would have given patients suffering from chronic, debilitating medical conditions, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, or glaucoma, the right to possess up to two ounces for their own use. It would also have allowed them or designated caregivers to grow up to six plants, three of which could be flowering. That number was lowered from seven during consideration by the Senate.

The House sponsor of the bill, Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) had pressed for a vote on the bill this week, saying it would pass if all supporters showed up. They didn't, but undaunted by the defeat, Lang told St. Louis Today he planned to reintroduce the bill.

"I am going to continue to press on -- on this particular piece of legislation, or some version of it -- until I pass it," Lang said. "Next year, the year after... I'm a young man. I'll be here awhile."

There is still an outside chance the bill could be passed this session. As the Marijuana Policy Project noted in a Friday email to supporters, a representative who voted no on the bill can file for a motion of reconsideration to bring the bill up for another vote. One has already done so, the group reported.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

illinois sucks (not verified)

I thought that this would never pass. Most politicians in Illinois are corrupt Spineless jellyfish. Did I also mention Gutless? My hats off to Lou lang though. Illinois, the land of laws. If it isn't against The law it soon will be.
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 2:05am Permalink
maxwood (not verified)

Not time to give up-- time to press on, writing comments and articles and adding links to relevant information-- such as the wikiHow article, "How to Make Smoke Pipes From Everyday Objects"-- why?  Because when the hot burning paper-wrapped joint and blunt (which destroy a high percentage of the THC) pass out of existence, patients will get their needs met while purchasing much smaller amounts of herb (so this legislation will be moot).

Sat, 01/08/2011 - 3:45pm Permalink
Anonymous420 (not verified)

If the voters could have a stab at it then it would pass for sure.  Illinois the land of the most corrupt.

Sun, 01/09/2011 - 1:53am Permalink
Giordano (not verified)

But apparently the Illinois legislature does. 

Thanks to a select but dawdling group of overpaid public ripoffs (AKA servants), certain people in Illinois who really need one of the most effective and safe herbal medications on the planet are forced to endure unnecessary pain, perhaps even death, while the public ripoffs stuff their faces with booze and the raw meat of their alleged constituents.

What would Illinois native-son Abraham Lincoln say about this?  No doubt Abe would sympathize with Obama's decision to leave Chicago.

Giordano

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 1:24am Permalink
Debbie Wilson (not verified)

 

MY FAMILIES FATE

 

YOU MAY BE HEALTHY AND FULL OF LIFE

BUT YOU COULD ONE DAY HAVE A CHILD A FRIEND

OR A WIFE IN NEED OF PAIN RELIEF OR A CURE FOR CANCER

PLEASE READ THIS POEM BEFORE YOU GIVE YOUR ANSWER

IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY TO

DISTINGUISH ILLEGAL FROM LEGAL

WE ARE THREE GENERATIONS OF WILSON’S

AND UNFORTUNATELY MY HEALTH IS QUITE FEEBLE

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION TAKEN FOR

THE LAST TWENTY YEARS

HAS NOT STOPPED MY SEIZURES, HEADACHES

SLEEPLESSNESS OR TEARS

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS VERY DESPERATELY

NEEDED BY ME

HOWEVER I DO NOT WANT TO SUBJECT MYSELF OR FAMILY

TO AN ARREST OR LEGAL FEE

IF TRAUMA OR BAD HEALTH ARE IN YOUR FUTURE

I HOPE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE MEDICINE YOU NEED

WE ARE PRAYING YES WILL BE YOUR VOTE

WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD

WHEN ON DISABILITY MOST PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY

TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR STATE

PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DID NOT WORK FOR ME

CROSS COUNTRY MOVING SHOULDN’T BE MY FAMILIES FEE

OR OUR FATE! Please make medical marijuana legal in my STATE!

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Sincerely,

Debbie Wilson

01-08-2011

www.dickibus.co.uk/poets/debbie_wilson/debbie.htm

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Tue, 01/18/2011 - 7:54pm Permalink

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Source URL: https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2011/jan/07/medical_marijuana_bill_defeated