SOME LAWMAKERS ON FENCE REGARDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA

DANVILLE - The closest Illinois residents have come to the legalized
use of medicinal marijuana so far is the state of Michigan sitting
among the Great Lakes.

The issue, however, is getting much, much closer.

Illinois House and Senate bills filed in 2009 -- titled the
Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act -- both call
for a three-year legalization of marijuana for patients who obtain a
doctor's approval and suffer from one of a list of conditions or illnesses.

The Illinois Senate bill passed 30-28 last year. And according to
State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, could be up for discussion in the
Illinois House by January.

Lang said this week that he has two choices: Bring the bill up for
vote during the November and December veto sessions or bring up the
issue in January before the new legislators take their seats in the
General Assembly.

The late year veto sessions would require 71 votes to pass the
measure, while a vote in January would take only 60.

Lang contends he has as many as 90 fellow state representatives who
support the measure. But up to this point, only 58 are willing to
signify that support with a vote. He said his office has received
"zero phone calls" from constituents in his district who disagree with
the act.

"I don't know how a person who is an elected official can ignore the
simple fact that there are people in the world who have tried all
other means of getting relief from really debilitating diseases and
can't find the relief needed."

Longtime area state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, remains on the fence
about the issue, saying he's done a lot of research about the issue,
but has not made up his mind on how he'll vote.

"My initial reaction was no way, it's just opening the door and soon
there'll be medical heroin," he said.

"I think it's a tightly controlled bill," he said. "If I can convince
myself there is medicinal value to people; Cancer patients that I've
talked to said it's one of the few things that alleviate pain."

Black acknowledged the issue of legalizing marijuana for medicinal use
is an emotional topic and stressed he's not interested in the
legalization of marijuana as a whole. He also noted he has heard
concerns from both law enforcement and the medical community.

But, Black points out, the proposed Compassionate Use of Medical
Cannabis Pilot Program Act comes with "stringent, tight
restrictions."

"There's still a lot of things to be worked out," Black
said.

Thus far, 14 states and the District of Columbia have legalized
marijuana for medicinal purposes in some form. Other states, like
Illinois, are looking at the idea.

Black, after serving in the Illinois House, is retiring in January,
meaning the issue of legalizing marijuana for medical use -- if not
approved by January -- would fall in the lap of a new group of
legislators, including one of two candidates vying for Black's seat in
the 104th District.

Mike Puhr, the Democratic candidate vying for the seat, said he is
familiar with the bill and would have no problems supporting the measure.

"This isn't going to be something like you would buy on the street,"
he said, noting that the bill includes measures making it "pretty
strictly controlled."

Puhr, who knows a man who grows medicinal marijuana in California,
said the drug apparently helps not only with pain, but also improving
appetite and weight gain in terminal patients.

"This at least relieves some of the misery and helps a person," he
said.

Chad Hayes, the Republican candidate for the 10th District House seat,
did not return calls requesting comment.

FYI

The Illinois Senate bill for the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis
Pilot Program Act is SB1381. The House bill for the act is HB2514.