SMOKE FOR HEALTH

Please contact your state lawmakers and urge them to support the
Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, Senate Bill
1381 and House Bill 2514. The recent calling for a review of cannabis
as a "schedule one drug" by the American Medical Association is one
more reason why lawmakers need to protect Illinois cannabis patients.
The scheduling of cannabis as a schedule one drug is ridiculous
because there has not been one documented overdose fatality.

The medical cannabis legislation in Springfield has been revised and
redrafted over the years to ensure a safe, regulated and controlled
medical cannabis program, not anything like the one in California. The
sponsors have taken what is working from the 13 states with medical
cannabis programs and avoided what is not working in some of those
states when writing these bills. Plus, there are increased penalties
for those who break the law by abusing the program.

A 2008 Mason-Dixon poll found that 68 percent of registered voters in
Illinois support allowing a doctor to recommend marijuana for those
who are seriously or terminally ill. We need to protect sick people.
They are not criminals for seeking relief from their debilitating condition.

Dan Linn

Illinois Cannabis Patients Association Chicago