NO TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Once again, the Illinois House of Representatives has nothing better
to do than consider the legalization of medical marijuana.

The bill is fraught with questionable content, such as allowing 2.5
ounces in a two-week period. There is enough there to keep the average
pot-head strung out for the whole two weeks, while allowing leftovers
for several friends.

The legislation also does not address the well-documented increase in
crime that will surround marijuana dispensaries. Home rule is ignored
in this bill, denying local communities the right to ban dispensaries.
Will the state pay local law enforcement costs?

Another huge problem is that the bill allows a person to drive four
hours after smoking pot. Who is going to watch the clock? It is well
known that the body holds THC, the active ingredient in pot, for
weeks. No safe level for operation of a motor vehicle has been
determined. Furthermore, there is no way currently to determine how
much of the chemical is in the blood stream. Who will pick up the
costs of those added motor vehicle accidents?

This bill has nothing to do with the medical treatment of serious
illness and everything to do with the eventual full legalization of a
drug that is very costly to society. If there is medical value in pot,
let the researchers prove it through well-executed double-blind studies.

When are Illinois legislators going to figure out that the state is
broke and state-funded pensions are out of control? Now is the time to
get serious about serious problems, instead of working on legislation
that will compound our woes and deepen our debt.

Kirk W. Boyenga

Springfield