ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE SHOOTS DOWN MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. The Illinois House on Thursday narrowly voted
down the authorization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The bill would have allowed people suffering from chronic pain or
nausea caused by certain debilitating conditions to be prescribed a
potent dose of cannabis to alleviate the symptoms. It fell four votes
short of passage.

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, pledged to continue
pushing toward legalizing the illicit herb. "I am going to continue
to press on - on this particular piece of legislation, or some
version of it - until I pass it," Lang said. "Next year, the year
after ... I'm a young man. I'll be here awhile."

For Jaime Clayton, a Grafton man who has coped with AIDS for 22
years, approval of the measure has been "a long time coming." He
participated in a clinical trial of medical marijuana at the
University of California San Francisco in 2002 and has been an
advocate ever since. A study said trial participants enjoyed
increased appetite and weight gain without weakening their immune systems.

"A little bit of relief, a little bit of compassion ... that's the
selling point," Clayton said.

The bill would have established a three-year pilot program for
Illinois. Opponents say legalizing marijuana for medical purposes
would send the wrong message to youth, potentially serving as a gateway drug.