Medical Marijuana Bill Still One Toke Under the Line

By Chuck Sudo in News on May 5, 2011 9:30PM

Even with House Republican Leader Tom Cross on board, a bill to start a three-year pilot program to legalize marijuana for medicinal use fell seven votes short of passage today. This news calls for a smoke.

Skokie Rep. Lou Lang, who sponsored the bill, tried to frame the bill as providing relief to Illinoisans who were in pain and pleaded with his fellow representatives to "vote your own conscience." Representatives such as Pecatonica Republican Jim Sacia, did. Sacia, a former FBI agent, voted against the bill and cited his experience as a former law enforcement official as the reason why. "Put it in a pill form, regulate it by the FDA," Sacia said. "I will support your bill."

This version of the bill had stricter regulations than the bill that failed to pass during the lame duck General Assembly session in January. Measures were put in place setting up dispensation of marijuana through regulated non-profit dispensaries instead of pharmacies and regulations were tightened so that dispensaries didn't become White Hen Pantries for weed, which brought Cross's endorsement.