Medical marijuana law back on docket Posted dat

Medical marijuana law back on docket

Posted date: January 11, 2013

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House sponsor of prior efforts to legalize medicinal use of marijuana has already renewed efforts in the new General Assembly.

“Medical Cannabis” was the first House bill introduced Wednesday in the new legislative session. It is sponsored by state Rep. Louis Lang, D-Skokie.

“We have a new general assembly, new people, new thoughts, new views of these issues,” Lang said Thursday. “We have national polls showing that the vast majority of Americans think people ought to have a product that their doctor thinks they ought to have.”

Lang said medical marijuana “is less controversial now that 19 other states have approved it and two other states have said that marijuana is legal for all purposes.”

“The idea that we would approve marijuana to help very sick people feel better should not be as con-troversial as it is,” he said.

Under the proposed law, certain patients could obtain medical-grade marijuana from state-regulated dealers for use in their homes.

Lang has been trying for four years to get approval for a medical marijuana law in Illinois.

The bill filed this week, titled the “Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act,” only contains a single paragraph, describing the measure as “an act concerning alternative treatment for serious diseases causing chronic pain and debilitating conditions.”

The filed bill serves as a procedural placeholder.

Lang said he will set out the full language in an amendment by at least early February.

He said the proposal he will offer this session will be similar to last year’s but will reflect some im-provements to make the measure easier to pass.

The measure is House Bill 1.

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/medical-mar...f887a.html