Medical Marijuana Bill Yet To Get A Senate Vote In Illinois

[Ganjarden]

This summer it looked as though Illinois was as close as ever to becoming the 14th state in the U.S. to allow the sick to use Marjuana to cure their ills. Medical Marijuana has been in the spotlight in Illinois as of late due to a push by several in the Illinois House and Senate.

In May 2009 the Illinois Senate passed S.B. 1381 with the sponsorship of Sen. Bill Haine and Rep. Lou Lang. Despite several attempts in the past neither body of the Illinois General Assembly has passed a bill proposing legal medical use of Cannabis.

In order to become law the bill must pass the Illinois House of Representatives with a majority of its 118 votes. Although Democrats have the majority with 70 Representatives in the House, many have expressed fear about political backlash to support of such legislation.

Support for the bill appears strong behind the scenes as Rep. Lou Lang, of Skokie was quoted in the Huffington Post saying "If every legislator who told me we should pass this bill actually voted for it, we'd pass it tomorrow, but we have too many legislators who don't have the courage of their convictions."

A Gallup poll from late 2003 found that overwhelmingly Americans support legalization of Marijuana for medical use. Medical Marijuana Poll

A more recent Gallup poll finds that 44% of Americans think Marijuana should be legal for any use - even simply for recreation. Outright Legalization Poll

With strong public support in favor of legalization and the assurance of protection from Federal prosecution by the Obama administration, S.B. 1381 appears ready to pass in the House. Now all that remains to be seen is whether or not Representatives will follow through when the real vote comes up.


News Hawk- Ganjarden http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: Examiner.com
Author: Ben Votava
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Website: Medical Marijuana Bill Yet To Get A Senate Vote In Illinois