Politics & Government

Gov. Quinn To Sign Med Marijuana, Championed By Skokie's Lang, Into Law Thursday


Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie has pushed legalizing medical marijuana in Illinois for years, and he will watch Gov. Patrick Quinn sign it into law Thursday.

The Governor's Press Office advised that Lang and people suffering from debilitating medical conditions will be present at the University of Chicago Center for Care and Discovery when Quinn makes the bill the law of the land.

Lang finally pushed a highly regulated medical marijuana bill through the General Assembly this spring. It provides for a four-year pilot program, under which patients under a doctor's care would be allowed no more than 2.5 ounces of marijuana per 14-day period.

The Illinois Senate also passed the bill this spring, clearing the way to send it to Quinn. Senators debated relieving the pain of those chronically ill from conditions such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, versus the pain of parents whose children used marijuana as a gateway drug to serious addiction.

Patients would have to buy the marijuana through one of more than 60 dispensing centers throughout the state, according to the Chicago Tribune, and would not be able to grow their own plants. The dispensaries will do criminal background checks on workers and provide camera surveillance. 

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