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Lothar121

Medical Pot Has Tough Test
Northwest Herald | 02/27/2006

Legislation is pending in the state Senate that would allow the medical use of marijuana for "debilitating medical condition[s]."

Last week, state Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, introduced a bill that would allow medical marijuana in Illinois. Users would be under a physician's care and registered with the Public Health Department. The patient would be limited to legally possess no more than 21/2 ounces of marijuana and 12 plants.

Public Health would implement regulations. The devil is in the details, but people with cancer, glaucoma and AIDS can find documented therapeutic relief smoking marijuana.

Medical marijuana is supported by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Nurses Association and the American Bar Association. The New England Journal of Medicine has endorsed it. A 2004 poll by AARP shows that 72 percent of respondents agree that adults should be allowed to use it medically under a doctor's supervision.

Medical marijuana is opposed by the Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Abuse Warning Network, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The American Medical Association is not on record opposing it, but it does not support the feds removing its status on the most restrictive controlled-substance list.

Eleven states allow that. In 1996, California became the first state to make it legal. Last month, Rhode Island made it legal under a doctor's orders.

But last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Gonzalez v. Raich that federal authorities could criminally prosecute such patients. However, the court did not overrule state laws that allow use of medical marijuana.

That's a quandary. But federal authorities already cede enforcement of marijuana laws to state and local authorities, who make 90 percent of marijuana arrests.

Rhode Island highlights a basic stumbling block of medical marijuana: How does a patient obtain it?

Pharmacies cannot fill prescriptions because it is included on the federal government's list of most restricted controlled substances. But most of the 11 states have some form licensing for marijuana growers or dispensaries.

Rhode Island legislators did not address that issue. That leaves patients or their caregivers to buy it on the streets like common drug criminals. The law makes no provision for the state to regulate it. That's unacceptable.

Cullerton's legislation covers that ground by assigning regulation to the Public Health Department. And the agency would need to apply the strictest of restrictions on supply and distribution of the marijuana.

But without them, Illinois would be reckless in sanctioning medical marijuana.

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grillmeats

If it passes, the state, city, maybe even the county will charge a fee to have this card. It won't be free, because in Illinois you must pay one way or another

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Nambus

i believe the fee was 100 bucks taken out of the transcript of the house.

but whats not clear is whether or not a patient can be their own caregiver .

grillmeats

Cook Country now charges $7 for a pack of smokes

Nambus

im still paying less then 3 a pack


anyways the bill has passed through both houses and the governor has not vetoed it theres been i believe 3 or 4 ammendments to the bill they have also listed mental illnesses such as epilepsy and ptsd legitimate uses as well as some others

so i guess we just wait and see

Bill status