MEDICAL MARIJUANA FAILS AGAIN IN ILLINOIS HOUSE

For the second time in 2011, the Illinois House has voted down a bill
to allow chronically ill citizens to use medical marijuana to treat
their maladies.

The proposal received only 53 yes votes Thursday to 61 in opposition,
with four lawmakers voting "present." A similar measure failed by
four votes on Jan. 6. Sixty votes were needed for passage.

"It turns out, even though there were 53 ("yes" votes) on the board,
I had 58 votes," said sponsor Rep. Lou Lang, D-Chicago. "Two people
voted 'no' because they saw it was going to fail, three people voted
'present' because they saw it was going to fail."

Lang said he will seek another roll call if he can find two more
votes to pass the plan, and he vowed to make any reasonable changes
to get those votes.

Supporters had been optimistic about the measure's chances Thursday,
because House Minority Leader Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego, publicly
backed the bill last month, after voting against the previous proposal.

House Bill 30 "is not about drugs, it is not about marijuana, it's
about healthcare," Lang said during floor debate. It would "help
people who can't get out of bed because they're too doped up on
morphine or Oxycontin."

Chronically ill patients, certified by their doctor and the state
Department of Public Health, would have been allowed to buy 2.5
ounces of marijuana every 14 days. They would have been allowed to
possess no more than 2.5 ounces at any one time to prevent
stockpiling for sale, Lang said.

The measure voted on Thursday also called for a limited number of
non-profit dispensaries, restricted the diseases for which pot could
be prescribed and eliminated earlier provisions that would have
allowed patients to grow their own marijuana.

Despite the changes, one opponent still worried that abuse could occur.

"I don't discount the pain and suffering that's going on out there it
was a tough vote," said Rep. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville, who voted
against the measure. "One of my (local) chiefs of police is a retired
DEA agent in Jacksonville, and he was gravely concerned. Every local
law enforcement official called me in opposition."

Opponents also said the measure would still conflict with federal
law, which labels cannabis as a Schedule One controlled substance the
highest classification prohibiting all use.

"This is not a medicine, this is an illegal substance," said Rep.
Patricia Bellock, R-Westmont, said.

Bellock said Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed a medical
marijuana bill after two U.S. attorneys said action could be taken
against state employees who enforced the proposal.