BEHAVIOR OF LAWMAKERS AT CAPITOL EMBARRASSING

My husband and I were at the Capitol Nov. 30 during the medical
cannabis debate for SB 1381. While normally I have a deep respect for
our lawmakers, that day representatives of our state made us feel like
criminals.

One representative, who happens to also be a pharmacist, said medical
cannabis is addictive, while all along he himself has an addiction to
pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol. He had no right to stand up and
speak when he has a past of addiction and a DUI this year.

Another representative told patients in person that if she believed in
our bill she would vote no because she has a vendetta against our
sponsor for something that happened years ago. She was very insulting
to the patients and claimed medical cannabis was "dope" and our bill
was nothing more than a tactic for marijuana possession. Other
representatives also stood up, but none as insulting as the two
mentioned above.

During the debate representatives were talking, laughing and not even
listening. How can make an informed decision if they are not even
listening? I suspect because they had their mind made up long before
the debate.

We had a young lady with us, the daughter of a patient who said the
House acted like schoolchildren at recess. That in itself is
embarrassing. It is unfortunate that many of these representatives
failed to read the bill.

These patients are in pain, they are suffering horrendous battles in
their daily lives. My husband is one of those patients and suffers
from MS. Many talked of cannabis being a gateway drug. Cannabis is
their gateway off narcotics!

What happened in the Capitol on Nov. 30 was embarrassing and an
injustice to the people of Illinois!

Sandy Champion

Somonauk