Pubdate: Mon, 04 Mar 2013
Source: Lake County News-Sun (IL)
Copyright: 2013 Sun-Times News Group
Contact:  http://newssun.suntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3928
Author: Nancy Thorner

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Most of the mainstream media, including the Lake County News-Sun, 
leans left on social issues such as gay marriage, amnesty for illegal 
aliens, sanctity of life and in pushing for the legalization of 
medical marijuana. Regarding the latter, it would be wise for towns 
to prepare for that eventuality.

Although the bill to legalize medical marijuana never made it out of 
legislative committee in the lame-duck sessions of the Illinois 
General Assembly, the issue still has life and will surely be 
revisited in the 98th General Assembly where Democrats now hold 
vote-proof majorities in both houses.

Although a medical marijuana proposal in the 98th General Assembly 
could vary in detail from House Bill 30 which lacked three votes to 
pass during the 97th General Assembly in 2012, following is the gist 
of House Bill 30:

House Bill 30 focused only on medical marijuana and included a 
three-year test program in which qualified patients would have been 
limited to 2.5 ounces of marijuana over a 14-day period. The local 
focus of that bill was the creation of nonprofit cannabis 
dispensaries, which would have been allowed to grow, harvest and 
distribute marijuana. They would have been limited to one per state 
Senate district.

Local officials are well advised to do some advance planning to be 
ready should a medical marijuana bill pass in the 98th General 
Assembly. My own home community of Lake Bluff and neighboring Lake 
Forest in December 2012 amended their zoning codes to prepare for the 
eventuality of being informed by Springfield that a marijuana 
dispensary was deemed a good fit for either community.

Other communities in Lake County where action has been taken or 
discussed in the past several weeks are Barrington, Buffalo Grove, 
Grayslake, Wauconda and Libertyville.

Conclusions reached in documented research from other states and 
municipalities where medical marijuana has already been legalized include:

1. A great increase in public safety issues.

2. Decrease in property values.

3. A great increase in youth access and use of marijuana.

Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization efforts send the wrong 
messages to youth that marijuana is not only safe but that it is a 
medicine. Legislation and legislative efforts of this kind threaten 
public health and significantly undermine prevention efforts of 
community anti-drug coalitions throughout the state of Illinois. 
States that have fully implemented medical marijuana programs are now 
experiencing "buyer's remorse."

Now is the time to act before the 98th General Assembly brings forth 
a followup medical marijuana proposal which, if passed into law, 
would become the 18th state with an effective medical marijuana law. 
Well to remember is that House Bill 30 failed to pass by only three votes.

Contact your state senators and state representative to urge them to 
vote "no" on future legislation to legalize marijuana for medical 
use. Also urge your city councils to pass a zoning ordinance 
prohibiting dispensaries prior to legislation passing at the state level.

Nancy J. Thorner

Lake Bluff
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom