Ill. House committee OKs use of medical marijuana

People suffering from cancer, AIDS and other diseases could turn to marijuana for pain relief under a plan approved Wednesday by an Illinois House committee despite claims that it would be a step toward legalizing pot.

Under the legislation, people with a doctor's permission would be eligible for a state registry card allowing up to seven marijuana plants in their homes and 2 ounces of "usable cannabis." The measure is written to expire after three years.

Advocates say marijuana eases pain without the side effects of heavier drugs and reduces nausea from chemotherapy.

"There is needless suffering going on out there," said the sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. "Everything else is a sideshow."

But Rep. Patricia Bellock, R-Hinsdale, said the bill raises serious questions. Will it be misused by people who don't really have a medical need for marijuana? Would it open the door to outright legalization of pot use in Illinois?

"It is the No. 1 drug that introduces young people to other drugs," said Bellock, who voted against the measure in the Human Services Committee.

Thirteen states already have medical marijuana laws that preclude a criminal conviction for use, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

Similar legislation was approved by a state Senate committee last year, but the sponsor never found enough support to call it for a vote. That sponsor, John Cullerton, is now Senate president, so the latest proposal should have an influential supporter if it ever reaches the Senate.

Lang called it a "difficult but not impossible bill to pass" in the House, even as a three-year experiment.

and Marijuana does what to the Immune System? It does as much harm as any other endogenous cannabinoid, which is none. You see, the active chemicals of Cannabis Sativa and Indica plants are things called cannabinoids. Your brain and body are utilizing these type of chemicals this very minute, they are essential to our survival. Topic: We are starting to see a flood of pro-cannabis legislation now that California started it off and Obummer ended the raids on medical marijuana clinics. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if it came up as an issue federally within the next year. CT is looking at changing cannabis legislation. New York is trying to repeal the Rockefeller laws.

It's kind of scary, the multitude of things that are changing (or trying) this past month.. I reckon anyone in a coma is going to wake up pretty darned confused.

Nothing as bad as most chemotherapy drugs do to the immune system, that’s for sure... If it does the same thing as other drugs and has fewer side effects, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be legalised for medical purposes. There are dozens of other medications that are more harmful and/or more addictive than marijuana (painkillers like Vicodin being among them) that are legal at various levels, even including cocaine if it’s a special circumstance and the doctor has the appropriate license to prescribe it.

“...even including cocaine if it’s a special circumstance and the doctor has the appropriate license to prescribe it.”

Methamphetamine is also a Schedule II drug like cocaine that can be prescribed. It isn't used much, but it can be prescribed to treat narcolepsy, ADHD, exogenous obesity and a couple of other disorders. It is sold under the brand name Desoxyn. http://www.drugs.com/pdr/desoxyn.html If the feds would just allow marijuana to be prescribed and sold from pharmacies it would kill these medical marijuana initiatives in the states. People would be stuck with overpriced mediocre product from pharmacies. The feds are too stupid to do that though. They're sticking with their guns, keeping marijuana a Schedule I drug, claiming it has no medicinal value. Since the feds won't allow marijuana even by prescription voters in several states have voted to allow for medical marijuana programs where people can grow their own and in some cases the states are even allowing commercial growing and sales from dispensaries that are kind of like pot bars. In a couple of instances in recent years state legislative bodies have actually enacted these laws, and we're probably going to see more of that because the polls all show that the majority of Americans think that sick people ought to be able to get marijuana if it might help them. The majority are for it even in Southern states that have the lowest levels of support for marijuana legalization. With the voter initiatives and these instances where state legislatures pass medical marijuana laws I bet from now on that we see an average of one state a year passing medical marijuana laws until the feds allow for it to be sold from pharmacies by prescription.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.