I am dead set against this.

People should have a right to choose their medecine. I have a family member with spinal problems. She looks like a junkie from all the years of vicoden, and OxyContin. I don't think she will live much longer on these drugs. She and others deserve the right to chose for themselves. God knows cannabis won't kill her like the pharmaceuticals are. Be open minded and have some compassion.

I'm with John on this one. I understand that there are some out there with severe pain issues but you cant tell me with all our technology and all our resources that we cannot find something else that wont impare someone's thinking and rot their brains than this drug. If this law passes then what about adding another restriction of: no one having a minor in the household can have this plant either. All I can see is more deaths, more crime and the drug rates escalating, especially in minors. Because if this law passes, so will the one that allows small legal amounts to be carried just like in some other states now. Seems like a bunch of states want to "test" this out but how many people will have to be killed first before they realize it wasnt a good idea? How many more car accidents? How many more young kids need to be picked up with "legalized pot"? Illinois is a sad state.

@ Mary- You had better be prepared to start saying "this country is going down the tubes", or another comment usually said by the older generation when a societal shift happens. The most recent elections shows that opponents of the decriminalization of marijuana are on the wrong side of history. It is a plant that should have never been illegal in the first place. In the very near future, it will be researched and regulated so that RESPONSIBLE ADULTS can use it for medicine or recreation in a non-harmful manner, without fear of becoming involved in the criminal justice system.

2 oz is not a small amount. 6 plants seems like a lot of bud for one person. Nevertheless, consumable alcohol products in the home are just as problematic and there aren't any limits. For the life of me, I can't figure out how one substance is legal and the other is not. Any of you pot critics ever sat down at dinner with a visiting parent, in-law, or relative who's been drinking? Or driven down Riverwoods Road and found yourself facing a driver rapidly approaching you in your lane? The only consistent solution is ban them all, but since that's not going to happen, then make them all legal and tax the heck out of the users.

At Venice Beach promenade, you're solicited every few feet for medical marijuana. No prescription--not to worry--doctors are standing by.

Lou Lang and all the other spenders are chomping at the bit for a new source of revenue, so they can spend even more.

Troy, that's what this is about for Lang. Revenue.

Lou Lang is not doing this for money I can assure you that. It's actually money that is holding it up. Two Chicago business men are wanting a monopoly on the growing of medical cannabis in illinois, and have been lobbying to get this done. They don't care people are suffering their just trying to get rich. If you look at the way the law is written now it states no one will be able to grow there own. It must be grown by a non for profit. I'm sure these two Chicago business men won't profit from this. MY A$$. As far as the danger of using cannabis. "No one has ever died from pot" is impossible to over dose. You can't say the same for tobacco, alcohol, Tylenol, aspirin. Thea all kill people everyday. Yes two oz sounds like a lot, but if you are cooking it into food it's not. Ask someone with Multiple sclerosis how much they need. I agree with some of you. I don't want my kids using it either, but the problem is now its easier for them to get because of the under ground market. Dealers don't care about your age, but Legal dispensaries will. There not going to make a huge investment just to ruin it by selling to kids. This cannabis pilot program is for three years. If it doesn't work it ends.

John: Reps. Lang and Cross have tighted this bill so much that it will not include enough patients to generate substantial revenue for the state. In California and Colorado, 80% of the patients get cards due to "pain." The Illinois bill is limited to specific, debilitating medical conditions that have been proven to respond positively to Cannabis. In addition, while in California patients can get "prescriptions" from any doctor (and accordingly those who only do that for a living), the Illinois bill requires that the doctor has been treating the patient for the qualifying condition and provides a written certification that the patient has the condition and, in the doctor's medical opinion, would be helped by Cannabis.

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20223191/two-businessmen-may-run-the-illinois-medical-marijuana-market?clienttype=printable

I suffer one of the afflictions which qualifies, but would be very hesitant to apply for a variety of reasons, not the least being having to broach the topic with my physician. Why would I want anyone to know I was in a program like this in the event the law is not made permanent after 3 years, or the Fed fails to relent on enforcement. And why would I want to pay dispensary prices when better deals may perhaps be sourced elsewhere? What would be the process involved to reverse the current Federal regulations?

As a caregiver of someone afflicted with multiple sclerosis, I can assure you this product works. His hands and legs crimp up so badly from muscle spasms and atrophy. None of his pharmaceutical pills help him like cannabis. Within a few minutes he feels relief and can open his hands and legs. Gateway drug? It's his gateway off the pills he takes that are hurting him far more. This is a man who took 59 pills a day, now only 25 thanks to cannabis. Tell me, is there something wrong with that? We have worked closely with Lou Lang to make this bill the best it can be. He's not in this for himself, he's in this for people like Jim.

Funny the coincidences of timing. Just saw a CNN feature with former Prezzes Carter and Clinton advocate for legalization. Wondering how much scientific research has been sanctioned, and what is the underlying ability for researchers to obtain cannabis for study, testing, etc.

Jon- right now cannabis is a schedule 1 drug. In the same class as heroin. Studies are not allowed on schedule 1 drugs. Until the feds move it to a different class it will never happen legally. It's hard to believe that cannabis is scheduled more dangerous than methamphetamine . What kind of message are we sending our kids to tell them it's more dangerous than meth. They see that cannabis has little side affects and think they are being lied to about all drugs. It's time for some sanity in our drug policy.

Well, truth be told, many drugs that were deemed safe by the FDA have been recalled and killed many. No deaths from cannabis documented. Jim takes methadone, a synthetic heroin and is weening off of it thanks to cannabis. Anyone who states synthetic heroin is safer than natural cannabis clearly hasn't had a loved one suffering the side effects from pharmaceutical drugs. The message to our children is clear, it's used to ease pain as with other drugs in your cabinet. My children grew up with their dad using cannabis to ease his ms. Neither used cannabis recreationally. Simply put, cannabis is a product that helps ease the pain and suffering of the sick.

http://alcoholism.about.com/b/2012/02/15/smoking-weed-doubles-car-crash-risk.htm

Drivers who are under the influence of caffeine are 2x likely to get in a car crash in comparison to those who aren't. Lets start banning Caffeine too and closing all of these Starbucks dispensaries. Your logic is INTENSELY flawed.

Three years in a hospital bed out of my mind on Oxycontin,Dilaudid & Fentynal~~and you think Cannabis is dangerous??? Never heard of any one having three heart attacks & a stroke from taking cannabis as I did from those powerful narcotics. To the bill~~hb30 as was written, was the tightest controlled medical cannabis legislation ever presented to a state house for passage, as eric & sandy have so eloquently stated, it's meant that way, primarily to provide the chronic & terminal patients of Illinois safe affordable access to a product that improves our quality of life, Rep's Lang & Cross went to great lengths to address & satisfy law enforcements concerns Rep. Lang has brought along a majority of the Democratic contingent now Rep Cross needs to bring his caucus to the table and make them REPRESENT those that sent them to Springfield to do their work. This MedCann program will be THE MOST OVERSIGHT of any state program in the history of Illinois~~and will be successful!!!!!

At the end of the day people here in Illinois that like to smoke pot can get it anywhere,any day at anytime in this state if they so choose to. Your kids can too so stop kidding yourselves that legalizing it will make it easier to get. Its already as easy to get as going to the store anyway so why not tax & regulate. The medical benefits are endless and there is a cheap bio diesel fuel that can be made from the seeds. Big Oil doesn't like that at all. Big pharma doesn't like MJ because it will replace a third of everything they sell.

Those who think marijuana is so awful just needs to actually try it and see what the real affects are. Alcohol is ten times worse than weed. And taking prescription pills is one of the worse drugs that young kids and adults are abusing, along with other heavily addictive drugs. Marijuana is not addictive and i use to find it very helpful to help me destress and relax to have a great night sleep. Worked wonders for me when i worked midnight shift for two years

Cannabis has medicinal properties. Time and again it has demonstrated greater efficacy in treating the side effects of chemotherapy, and symptoms of AIDS and MS, than available prescriptions. Raw plant material might not be the best form of medicine, but, until the Controlled Substances Act is changed to allow for cannabis-based drugs, that's the only option left for patients. The federal government won't change until the states force them to. Tell your reps to vote yes on HB 30.

The people of Illinois will greatly benefit from this bill passing. All of the arguments about marijuana being a gateway drug are ridiculous. People who suffer with chronic pain, nausea and vomiting from chemo therapy, loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer's, MS, fibromyalgia and many many more can benefit from this drug. This is not new information, big pharma has known about it's benefits for years and fights for their possible reduction of revenue. Lou Lang isn't in revenue, he is one of Illinois' representatives that is actually listening to the people.
There is less likelihood of abuse, or impaired motor skills than there are with alcohol and especially narcotics. Please let's get the facts straight and make this a non-partisan issue and help the people of Illinois that need this medication to improve the quality of their lives. Mary

Hello everyone please don't be scared of this bill...I am a current arizona mmj patient cannabis was given to me as an anti pyscotic anti depressant but most importantly anti nausea cause the lining in my stomach somehow dissovled...resultin in serve nausea...I vaporize small amounts before eating cause pills make me sick...cannabis has been a life saver for me and I would really like to return home...oh by the way I use cannabis everyday and I raise my son...work and I'm happy most days if u seen me in public you'd have no ideal I was an mmj patient so with all respect ppl should not be scared....

I am originally from Chicago/ Milwaukee but I live in California at the moment. Marijuana is everywhere here, even more than liquor stores and I don't see any problems that it has caused. People that are high on weed seem very nice and they don't get violent, arrogant or scary like a drunk person.

From living in a place where marijuana is EXTREMELY prevalent and widely available, I have seen from first hand experience that it is a non issue.

If you like it as a medicine or a recreational novelty, especially one than is as safe as green tea, you should have safe access to it just like chocolate.

I'm sorry, I just think it's insane that you can actually go to jail or prison for something that has only mild side effects if any. Even at it's worst it will only give a person mild to medium anxiety or make them on edge for a few hours, (it really depends on the person and the stain), but that's still better than a violent drunken rampage.

Passing this bill would be a step in the right direction. There is nothing wrong with adults using MJ responsibly if it's for medical purposes, or recreational. Prohibition hasn't worked in the past, and guess what? It is not working now. Stop treating people who use such a harmless drug like criminals, and focus on the REAL ones. You know. The ones out on the street murdering people. Booze and cigs are much more harmful drugs, yet those are legal.

Legalize green 2013 IL What you dont like money? Medical marijuana for ILl
states people.

The people of Illinois are governed by more useless laws than any other state in the country in my opinion. We have some of the strictest laws and yet, we also have the most corrupt government in the country.

The only thing holding this bill up from passing is the greedy politicians looking for a way for themselves to get a cut of some money and not to hurt the big pharma in the process. That is, as we all know, why there has not been a nation-wide repeal. Research Henry Anslinger.

He testified in front of Congress in the 1930's saying "Marijuana makes Caucasian women seek relations with the degenerate races."

Henry Ford had a very affordable and economic prototype vehicle that was made mostly from hemp that was shot down thanks to the kind influence of Henry Anslinger.

Follow the money. Who needs a doctor to write a prescription for a pharmaceutical drug if you can grow your own medicine at home under lock and key? Prosecutors and cops will lose funding. Private prisons won't have as many inmates to profit from.

The vast majority of current and past marijuana users are otherwise law abiding citizens who must find someone who knows someone who is a criminal to get their drug of choice.

Legalize it Colorado style, put the criminals out of business. Mexico would lose half of its illegal drug trade, and that would make life better on both sides of the border.

If we continue to lie to kids about marijuana, they won't believe us about meth and heroin.

(watch you tube: run from the cure the rick simpson story.) im all for the medical marijuana bill too many of my family members have died from cancer and because the doctor gave them a pill theyre allergic to or had more side effects that it did good and died cuz of it. this is why i hate politics.

People are going to use marijuana for pain and cancer patients to get an appetite after chemo..I watched my father at the age of 49 wither away because of cancer only getting relief after going out on the street and buying marijuana from a source he wasn't sure of..why should drug dealers and the cartel profit? It can be regulated and taxed if its legal...people in pain will do anything to get out of pain believe that....

To deny relief from those who would benefit from MN is nothing short of inhuman. Yet those who oppose don't seem to mind cigarettes,a proven carcinogen. The government has been manipulating the nicotine level since the 1940's. Every year thousands of Americans die needlessly. MM is does not cause cancer It will not rot your liver like alcohol, another substance the government allows. STOP THE HIPPOCRACY......

I have "relapsng progressive" Ms which is the worst one only effects 10% marijuana helps a lot with my pain and spastisity. I have been on every Ms drug and relapsed on everyone. I only smoke when I can get which is hardly ever but I wish it was legal cause it really does help.

Just so everyone knows, the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act is now known as HB1. Last week it passed committee 11-4 and is waiting for a full vote. If you support this legislation, now is the time to contact your representatives and let them know you support HB1.

I'm trying to find out how IL will decide on who dispenses. How many plants can a patient have?