An Illinois House committee on Wednesday approved a proposal to legalize medical marijuana .

Similar legislation has failed in the General Assembly over the years, but the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said he’s optimistic because this version provides more regulation than previous versions.

“We wanted to make it as tight and as highly regulated as possible, (and) we could to give this a try for four years so we can convince members of the General Assembly that it should be a permanent program,” Lang said.

The committee vote was 11-4. Four of the six Republicans voted “no,” while all Democrats and two Republicans, Rep. John Cabello, R-Rockford, and Rep. JoAnn Osmond, R-Antioch, voted “yes.”

Lang said the newest proposal would be the “most highly regulated piece of legislation ever written on the subject” in the 18 states that have adopted such measures.

The proposal would create a four-year pilot program during which qualified patients could use up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana per two-week period. The drug would be available only to people with specific medical conditions, such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, and only if their doctors and the Department of Public Health approve.

The bill provides for 60 dispensaries and 22 cultivation centers across the state.

“Many people sat around a table drafting and redrafting this to make it very tight and controlled. This is clearly modeling legislation for the country,” Lang said.

Lauren Leone-Cross can be reached at 782-6292.

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1037520463/Hous...juana-plan