cannabisnews.com: Illinois Representative Tests Pot Waters





Illinois Representative Tests Pot Waters
Posted by CN Staff on February 07, 2004 at 19:46:00 PT
By Mark Samuels 
Source: Quad-City Times 
Springfield -- Cancer and AIDS sufferers as well as Illinoisans suffering from glaucoma, would be able to grow, possess and use marijuana without fear of arrest or jail under legislation just introduced in the General Assembly.But House Bill 4868’s sponsor, Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano, R-River Grove, said his motivation in offering the measure is only to educate his fellow lawmakers.
“I’m approaching this with the idea of seeing where everybody lines up on it — law enforcement, the medical community — to see if this would be something feasible or palatable,” he said.As a practical matter, he said the measure probably will not make it to the electronic tote board in the House chamber that records the “ayes” and “nays.”“This is not the year to call it for a vote, with elections coming up,” Saviano said. He said a committee hearing is only the “first step” in what inevitably will be a “tedious evolution in the process to resolve conflicts with state and federal law.”The Bush administration has been adamant in opposing the implementation of similar marijuana legislation in states that have already embraced it as a medically acceptable treatment. Those states include Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.“Maybe somewhere down the line this might translate into a mandate for our congressional delegation that says, ‘Maybe you should look at this, too,’ ” he said.Several members of the Illinois delegation already have shown their support for state medical marijuana laws. U.S. Reps. Danny Davis, Luis Gutierrez, Jesse Jackson Jr., Tim Johnson, Bobby Rush and Jan Schakowsky, all Democrats, voted for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to the Commerce Justice State Appropriations bill last July. That amendment would have protected medical marijuana clinics operating with state approval from U.S. Department of Justice interference.Saviano’s bill has bipartisan support. Illinois House co-sponsors include Democratic Reps. Larry McKeon and Susana Mendoza. Sen. Carol Ronen, D-Chicago, is sponsoring similar legislation in the upper chamber with Senate Bill 2440.Saviano said he does not expect Gov. Rod Blagojevich to weigh in on the proposal.“He has other pharmaceutical problems,” Saviano chuckled, referring to the governor’s highly publicized effort to reverse federal policy on the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada.University of Illinois senior Danielle Schumacher is president of the Urbana-Champaign chapter of Illinois NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. She said more than 300 local members plan to lobby for the bill’s passage.“I think the best part of this bill is that it actually outlines how to use the law, rather than just saying this is legal,” she said.Laimutis Nargelenas, manager of governmental relations for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said it is too early in the process for his organization to talk about the merits of Saviano’s proposal.“We have no position,” he said. “I’ll have to contact our legislative committee, and they will review it.” He noted that the chiefs have been “tracking national attempts” of a similar nature.The Illinois State Medical Society, or ISMS, declined to take a position on the measure, too, saying only that an internal review was underway. An ISMS staffer did provide information from the American Medical Association outlining the parent organization’s stance.That policy statement calls for further studies of marijuana’s effectiveness as a therapy and urges the National Institutes of Health to administratively facilitate grants for those studies — but say marijuana should remain a controlled substance in the interim.Ironically, Illinois already has a statute on the books that allows licensed physicians to conduct research on the medicinal use of marijuana research and shields research participants from prosecution. According to the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, however, the program never has been in operation. Source: Quad-City Times (IA)Author: Mark Samuels Published: Saturday, February 7th, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Quad-City TimesContact: opinions qctimes.comWebsite: http://www.qctimes.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/ IDEAL Reformhttp://www.idealreform.org/Illinois NORMLhttp://www.illinoisnorml.org/Could Marijuana Be Legal in Illinois?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15443.shtmlCampus NORML Organizes Med Marijuana Weekhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15521.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #3 posted by mayan on February 08, 2004 at 12:27:39 PT
Third Rail?
“This is not the year to call it for a vote, with elections coming up,” Saviano said. He said a committee hearing is only the “first step” in what inevitably will be a “tedious evolution in the process to resolve conflicts with state and federal law.”Bullshit. This is no third rail issue. Actually, it really is. Those who refuse to back medical cannabis may as well stick their tongue up against the third rail! Their tired old, &%$# *! "election year" excuse simply won't wash anymore! We will kick ass & take names from here on out. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Virgil on February 08, 2004 at 09:59:27 PT
I don't think there is much reefer madness left
Cannabis has been in the culture so long that it is now seen for what it is by most. Everytime someone talks of cannabis in a chat room or on television or raises any tiny little aspect in conversation, it erodes all the stigma the government created.The Christians would like the 10 Commandments displayed in public so as to keep their way of life in our culture. That is why the great Budha statues in Afganistan, except it wanted to remove something from its culture.The snicker factor is gone and at DU someone is always mentioning Miracle Plant. Yesterday the question was should someone smoke with her friends mom. The erosion will just continue.That is why Walters says nothing. If he says "Marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug" I will take it to an audience and correct him. Walter is a whoring liar. First, he should say cannabis. Cannabis is not addictive. Cannabis is not dangerous. It is not even a drug. It is a plant. It is the black markets that need to be prohibited. People do not have to chose to use cannabis, but we are all forced to live with the black markets that come with the prohibition model. We should turn to a strategy of harm reduction.I will be very surprised if the next poll that ask "Should marijuana be regulated like alcohol and tobacco?" turns out not to have majority support. Once we hit 50 it only goes higher. Prohibition is being eroded by truth and good sense that says there is a better way.Maybe Ed Rosenthall first said that one day a bunch of men would sit down at a table and say that prohibition should end. I think that is about right but I believe it will be a woman that calls the meeting. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by mamawillie on February 08, 2004 at 09:02:23 PT
Thanks for trying
This bill just might be the little bill that could. There doesnt' seem to be much "reefer madness" hysteria with it, and it has bipartisian support. It will be interesting to see how the bill does. I'm in a state that will be one of the last to pass a law, so I just like sitting back and watching the states one by one pass these bills. Thank you to Mr. Saviano for at least attempting it.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment