Illinois Republicans Are High On Medical Marijuana

The AP recently surveyed the GOP candidates for Illinois governor and found out something, like, totally awesome dude: some of them actually support medical marijuana laws for the state.

Of course, some of them are also closed-minded curmudgeons who actually claim with a clear-conscious that "relatively few studies have been completed on the health benefits relating to the effects of inhaling marijuana as an alternative to currently available treatment."

That quote comes from DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom. Obviously, he has never heard of a little group called the American Medical Association.

Remarkably, though it seems Schillerstrom is a minority among his peers. Most of the candidates quoted in the piece say they would back a "narrowly defined" or "narrowly drawn" prescription pot law for the Land of Lincoln.

Oh wait, Illinois already has a medical marijuana law on the books.

More than a dozen states allow marijuana use for medicinal purposes.

Strangely, so does Illinois. Medical marijuana was legalized here in 1978, but it has languished; bureaucrats have never implemented the practice.

The pending legislation would set up a public-health registry of people using doctor-approved marijuana to relieve the pain of, for example, Crohn's disease, or the upset stomach caused by chemotherapy. Patients could possess seven plants or two ounces of the dried drug.

"People who are seriously ill deserve access to all medical treatments that will help them fight their illness and recover," said Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, while not promising to support specific legislation.

The "pending legislation" referenced in the selected portion is a bill introduced and approved last year by the state's Senate but never acted upon by the House of Reprsentatives. Perhaps a change of leadership will stop the House from bogarting the bill.

One thing is for sure, though, even if it's a GOP member who does it, they won't be the first Republican governor to admit that weed ain't all that bad.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Ethiopian Review
Copyright: 2010 Ethiopian Review
 
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