BAD MARIJUANA BILL

A legislative proposal that aims to ban the distribution of marijuana-
related information from the Internet could affect the Illinois State
Crime Commission's efforts to educate parents about illegal drugs, if
it is approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ryan. The
measure, HB 792, would make it illegal for anyone to transmit
"cannabis information" through the Internet. If the measure is
approved, offenders could face up to a year in jail.

A recent article on the measure reported that HB 792 has raised
concerns about free speech and the practicality of enforcing the
poorly worded proposal. In fact, supporters of the measure admit that
HB 792 contains a number of "gray areas" that will have to be
addressed by the courts. The bill's supporters also acknowledge that,
if approved, the law might be misinterpreted and misapplied.

I am very concerned about the "gray areas" in HB 792. I believe that
HB 792 will have a "chilling" effect on those who collect and share
information about illegal drugs. As you well know, the crime
commission oftentimes finds itself delivering new, sometimes
groundbreaking information about illegal drugs. The commission broke
the story on a new wave of heroin dealers in Chicago. We sounded an
early warning about crystal meth, a cheap but deadly new drug. We
described how marijuana is often used as a delivery agent for heroin
and D- methamphetamine.

The commission now has a solid record of collecting strong "street"
intelligence. Police officers, parents, educators and the media look
to the commission for reliable information about illegal drugs. Such
information is often ugly, but banning it from public discourse will
not eliminate illegal drugs and the damage they do to our society.

Let us not attack a bad situation with a bad law that is ripe for
abuse. I believe we should stand by the First Amendment and urge the
state Senate to reject HB 792.

Jerry Elsner

Executive Director

Illinois State Crime Commission

Lisle