cannabisnews.com: Some Lake County Leaders Fear Impact of MMJ Law
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Some Lake County Leaders Fear Impact of MMJ Law
Posted by CN Staff on July 22, 2013 at 14:01:56 PT
By Karen Ann Cullotta, Special to the Tribune
Source: Chicago Tribune
Illinois -- As the project coordinator for the Lake County Underage Drinking and Drug Prevention Task Force, Bill Gentes said he's worried that a bill passed by the state legislature to legalize medical marijuana could prove harmful to local teenagers."The law allows for someone with a medical marijuana card to be prescribed 2.5 ounces of pot every 14 days, which comes out to roughly 13 joints a day," Gentes said, speaking at a recent Lake County Municipal League meeting that tackled issues ranging from the local heroin epidemic and prescription drug abuse, to medical marijuana and the state's new concealed carry law.
The medical marijuana proposal has already gotten state legislators' approval, but awaits the signature of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to become law."That means, if someone smokes as many as six joints a day, they would still have seven joints lying around the house," Gentes added. "And where are those joints going to go? The kids are going to get their hands on them."Many of Gentes' concerns about the implications of the proposed law on local communities are shared by elected officials and law enforcement officers, with mayors scrambling to ensure new zoning ordinances are in place and police officers questioning how the law would affect DUI arrests.Now, with Quinn indicating he is "very open-minded" about the proposal – which would not take effect until Jan. 1 - local officials are wasting no time in creating new zoning and planning ordinances that would limit the marijuana-growing warehouses and dispensaries to areas of the community that would have the least impact on area residents."It is mostly a zoning issue, and we're trying to establish a zoning area in town that would not impact residents in a negative way," said Round Lake Beach Mayor Rich Hill, who explained one appropriate location might be in an industrial park."This is similar to an adult-use ordinance," he added. "The local zoning laws will be tailored to keep the medical marijuana businesses away from families and kids, but still allow access to those who have been granted a medical marijuana use card."Medical marijuana cards would be issued only to qualifying patients who are diagnosed by a physician as having one of more than 40 debilitating conditions listed in the state statute, including cancer, multiple sclerosis or severe fibromyalgia.Michael Zimmermann, an attorney with Tressler, LLP, who provides corporate counsel for several towns in Lake County, said he has heard from many elected officials and law enforcement officers who are confused by aspects of the medical marijuana proposal. He said they are seeking advice as to how they can protect their residents and business owners while still following the rules, should they become law."Providing the governor signs this law by Jan. 1, public officials in Lake County want to make sure they have their planning and zoning ordinances ready and in place," Zimmermann said.While the proposed law would require that a medical marijuana cultivation center may not be located within 2,500 feet of the property line of pre-existing public or private schools, day care centers or an area zoned for residential use, some public officials remain frustrated by the law's potential impact on their communities."We've seen more than a few boneheaded pieces of legislation come out of Springfield lately," Bannockburn Village President James Barkemeyer said. "I'm not surprised, but I think we'll all face real challenges if this medical marijuana bill is signed by the governor." Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)Author: Karen Ann Cullotta, Special to the TribunePublished: July 22, 2013Copyright: 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLCWebsite: http://www.chicagotribune.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/2j2WXCjZContact: http://drugsense.org/url/IuiAC7IZCannabisNews  Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by kaptinemo on July 23, 2013 at 14:24:09 PT:
And how far away from a school must a liquor store
be? 2K feet is almost a half-mile; how many liquor stores are similarly restricted? Given that alcohol is not only toxic but flammable and explosive, you'd think the oh-so-(ahem)-concerned citizens might be equally worried.Really, the hypocrisy is becoming ever more clear...and deserving of ridicule. The prohibs think they can 'zone' MMJ out of existence...while failing to recall that such a facility, if forced out of city limits, is outside of that city's tax domain, as well.But this also serves to demonstrate a point: so long as there is this continual "he said/she said" nonsense about MMJ's medical utility, so long as ignoramuses can spout irrationality and lies about cannabis without paying a price for their stupidity and mendacity, this kind of thing will continue to happen. Only full-on legalization can end-run around this prohib log-jam.
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Comment #7 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 23, 2013 at 14:00:27 PT
Who smokes joints?
"That means, if someone smokes as many as six joints a day, they would still have seven joints lying around the house," Gentes added. "And where are those joints going to go? The kids are going to get their hands on them."I imagine Gentes would be afraid kids would get a hold of loaded bongs, brownies and vapor bags, too.But why is it no one is ever concerned about the bottles of bleach, ammonia, drain cleaner, etc., etc., laying around on shelves and in unlocked cabinets in most homes, usually easily accessed by kids, and potentially fatal?What about the many millions of tanks of gas easily accessed by children, tempting them to get high on the fumes?Not to mention the pills with childproof caps that are only effective with the youngest of kids, but probably more older adults.
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Comment #6 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 23, 2013 at 13:41:08 PT
Good news everyone! MMJ comes to NH!
Sorry, I haven't been around in a while. I blame facebook.But, thanks to facebook, I just found out we have the 19th state with legal, though very limited, medical cannabis!"New Hampshire has become the 19th state adopting medical marijuana. Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) signed into law House Bill 573. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature with overwhelmingly bipartisan support."http://justsaynow.firedoglake.com/2013/07/23/breaking-new-hampshire-governor-signs-medical-marijuana-into-law/
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Comment #5 posted by runruff on July 23, 2013 at 11:29:12 PT
Yeah but...
In my quest to deliver my message, certain information does not march to the forefront of my brain and I make little mistakes like the date of the inquisition. It stated in the middle 1400's not the 1300's as my post stated. Thanks for the "Lol"
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on July 23, 2013 at 09:52:41 PT
Lol!
Top form, my friend. Top form.
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on July 23, 2013 at 07:50:59 PT
In the porcelain research library. 
I awarded myself a PhD in "Stuff I Need To No." It is a small place and if I sit too long I get a red ring around my posterior but it worth it for the solitude.I was reading about Michelle Leonhart, She looks like the hind quarters of bad luck, to me. She is about as charming as a big wet dog at a tea time social. My thoughts about her are this: When her job is eliminated entirely, that is when I will consider this modern day inquisition, over. Her job is the very symbol of oppression. They {DEA] are the modern version of 14TH Century Jesuits. If America does not do away with these federal [in house] mercenaries, there is no way we can believe in the promise or the tenets of our contract with the US Government. They represent the very model of tyranny.
 
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Comment #2 posted by Paul Pot on July 22, 2013 at 21:43:57 PT:
It's democracy
This bone headed legislation is the result of years of discussion and education and reasoning by activists and the voting public and politicians who have finally come to their senses. And it's happened because people now realize that prohibition puts everyone in danger by putting a criminal culture in charge of a massively profitable industry and then pretending to correct the situation by blaming kids and black people and giving them criminal records. 
Prohibition is a disaster and the legislature of Illinois is to be commended for making what will be the first of many reforms to come.
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on July 22, 2013 at 17:36:07 PT
Thirteen jailhouse pinners, maybe?
2.5 ounces is about one Cheech and Chong spliff per day, the way we roll!"That's how we roll!"
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