If State OKs Medical Marijuana, Will Illinois Go Up in Smoke?
Do you favor legalizing pot for medical treatment or will it just open the door to misuse and further legalization?
State Rep. Lou Lang's going to again try to win General Assembly approval to make marijuana for medical purposes legal -- and this time, he tells the Chicago Tribune, he has the votes to get it done.
That could mean a tax windfall for Illinois: Witness places such as Colorado, which netted $5 million in new state taxes in 2011, or Oakland, Calif., which collected $1.4 million with just four dispensaries last year.
But some say could also be a slippery slope, given the belief that some doctors may be too lenient when prescribing marijuana and that it will eventually lead to pot legalization. Just this month, voters in Colorado and Washington State approved such measures, although federal law still superceded state law on the issue.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.
Tim F
9:53 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
Maybe the Illinois state legislature will share what they're smoking with us.
Malcolm Kyle
4:07 am on Friday, November 30, 2012
Maybe you're a police officer, a prison guard, or a local/national politician. Possibly you're scared of losing employment, overtime pay, the many kickbacks, and those regular fat bribes. But what good will any of that do you once our society has followed Mexico over the dystopian abyss of dismembered bodies, vats of acid, and marauding thugs carrying gold-plated AK-47s with leopard-skinned gunstocks?
Kindly allow us to forgo the next level of your sycophantic prohibition-engendered mayhem!
Edward Andrysiak
12:20 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Me thinks you missed the point Malcolm...all those things you point out occur because drugs are illegal. Legalized chemicals for the dopers at real cheap money would dry up the bad guys cash flow. The're buying the stuff anyway, might as well have the state sell it and pay down our debt, eliminate a lot of jail time and have a few bucks to take care of the addicts. You might be surprised to see "who comes out of the woodwork". It's a sickening thought but I don't know what else will work.
John Young
11:48 am on Friday, November 30, 2012
Put it out to the voting public, let us vote it or out but let the pepole decide. We all know if it was put up to a majority vote. It would become legal law overnight. we let to many special interest group, Mothers crying because they wouldn't make there kids do the right thing. or let their father discipline them. Now there child is
dead why ? Pot maybe if a realy heavy bale droped from high above . More then
likely haroin crack math synthetic drugs. The war on pot is killing our kids not pot
Edward Andrysiak
12:13 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Years ago a Doctor pal of mine said we need to legalize pot. I thought he was nuts! Now...in order to stop the gang bangers from killing in Chicago and instead of calling for gun control, we need to stop them for fighting for market share which is exactly what they are doing. They fight for the drug money! Legalize drugs/pot and you stop a lot of the gang bangers cash flow.