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hxxp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-quinn-to-sign-medical-marijuana-bill-thursday-20130731,0,6053984.story
By Monique Garcia and John Keilman Tribune reporters 7:05 a.m. CDT, August 2, 2013
For Mike Graham, what started as an aggravation of an old football injury led to a number of failed spinal fusion surgeries before doctors decided to implant a pump to regularly release doses of morphine to try to ease his chronic pain.
Instead, the high-powered opiate combined with other prescription drugs left him feeling worse. The 50-year-old from Manteno had heard marijuana could provide relief, but he was hesitant to seek it out given the long line of police officers in his family. He eventually gave pot a try, saying he desperately wanted to spend more time with his children.
"In a matter of days, I started to feel better. I could keep food down," Graham said. "I thought, 'Oh, boy, what am I going to say at Thanksgiving?' But then they noticed that I could eat, so they knew something was up. ... I hadn't been there the three previous years because I wasn't able to get out of bed.
Graham was one of dozens of supporters on hand Thursday at the University of Chicago Center for Care and Discovery as Gov. Pat Quinn signed the state's medical marijuana bill into law, with Illinois joining 19 other states and the District of Columbia that have legalized cannabis for patient use.
The decision by Illinois leaders to take the plunge on medical marijuana after decades of resistance will unfold amid concerns that stretch from law enforcement officials who fear unused pot will be sold illegally to anti-drug educators who worry about the mixed message the law sends to kids to suburban zoning boards who'd rather pot shops not pop up on Main Street.
There will be plenty of time for such issues to be aired.
The law, which sets up a four-year trial program, doesn't take effect until Jan. 1. After that, state regulators will spend months coming up with rules spelling out who gets to open the 22 marijuana growing operations across Illinois, which businesses get the 60 licenses to sell the finished product and how patients will get medical marijuana cards from doctors. Then a panel of state lawmakers will decide whether the regulations are drawn tightly enough.
By the time that plays out, crops are grown and the pot stores open, it could be fall 2014 before those afflicted with one of 40 or so medical conditions can legally toke up to ease their pain.
But the long lead time is not stopping the legalized marijuana industry from descending on Chicago in three weeks for a "cannabusiness symposium."
There'll be how-to panels, tips on dealing with the government and, of course, networking opportunities more big business than the peace-and-love image the less-successful push to legalize recreational use of marijuana calls to mind.
When those with a medical marijuana card are legally able to get the product, they'll be allowed up to 2.5 ounces every two weeks. That's about enough to fill two small plastic sandwich bags. They'll also be able to buy it baked into brownies, muffins, croutons and trail bars. And they can expect to pay taxes on their pot purchases. In Colorado, patients pay $80 and above for an ounce of medical marijuana, choosing from varieties with names like "Jack Flash," "Sour Diesel" and "LA Kush."
Illinois restrictions
But unlike Colorado, which has come under fire for lax marijuana regulations even as the state gets ready to legalize recreational pot use next year, drafters of Illinois' law say it will be among the toughest in the nation.
Patients here can't grow their own pot and must have an existing relationship with a prescribing doctor. To qualify, patients must be diagnosed with a serious to chronic illness laid out in the law, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma or HIV. It's likely that patients would have to pay out of pocket for marijuana, as it is not typically covered by insurance companies.
The Illinois Department of Public Health will be in charge of issuing medical marijuana cards to patients and their caregivers, who could purchase and administer pot on behalf of those who are ill. Patients and caregivers would be fingerprinted, undergo background checks and must promise not to sell or give away marijuana. Workers at grow centers and dispensaries will undergo the same vetting.
The state will license 22 growers, one for each State Police district, as well as up to 60 dispensing centers to be spread across the state. Exactly where those growers and sellers could locate will be up to state regulators. Local communities could enforce strict zoning laws, but they could not prevent a grower or dispensary from setting up shop in town.
Growers and dispensaries will be charged a 7 percent "privilege tax," which will be used to enforce the medical marijuana law. Patients will be charged a 1 percent tax for purchasing pot, the same rate that applies to pharmaceuticals. Additionally, growers and dispensaries would be banned from donating to political campaigns.
Marijuana use would be banned in public, in vehicles, around minors and near school grounds. Property owners would have the ability to ban marijuana use on their grounds. Employers would maintain their rights to a drug-free work place, meaning someone with a valid medical marijuana card could be fired for using the drug if their employer prohibits it.
Advocates argue that Illinois' law is drafted tightly enough to prevent intervention from the federal government, which classifies all marijuana use as illegal. But the discrepancy between state and national law is already causing concerns for some military veterans, as federally run veterans hospitals say their doctors won't issue prescriptions for illegal drugs.
Legislators tried to get around that prohibition by providing a loophole in the law that would allow veterans to receive a prescription for pot from someone other than the primary care provider, but advocates say the federal government's stance prevents veterans from having honest conversations about the possible benefits of medical marijuana.
It presents a pretty big stumbling block for vets," said Michael Krawitz, executive director of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, a group based near Blacksburg, Va.
By Monique Garcia and John Keilman Tribune reporters 7:05 a.m. CDT, August 2, 2013
For Mike Graham, what started as an aggravation of an old football injury led to a number of failed spinal fusion surgeries before doctors decided to implant a pump to regularly release doses of morphine to try to ease his chronic pain.
Instead, the high-powered opiate combined with other prescription drugs left him feeling worse. The 50-year-old from Manteno had heard marijuana could provide relief, but he was hesitant to seek it out given the long line of police officers in his family. He eventually gave pot a try, saying he desperately wanted to spend more time with his children.
"In a matter of days, I started to feel better. I could keep food down," Graham said. "I thought, 'Oh, boy, what am I going to say at Thanksgiving?' But then they noticed that I could eat, so they knew something was up. ... I hadn't been there the three previous years because I wasn't able to get out of bed.
Graham was one of dozens of supporters on hand Thursday at the University of Chicago Center for Care and Discovery as Gov. Pat Quinn signed the state's medical marijuana bill into law, with Illinois joining 19 other states and the District of Columbia that have legalized cannabis for patient use.
The decision by Illinois leaders to take the plunge on medical marijuana after decades of resistance will unfold amid concerns that stretch from law enforcement officials who fear unused pot will be sold illegally to anti-drug educators who worry about the mixed message the law sends to kids to suburban zoning boards who'd rather pot shops not pop up on Main Street.
There will be plenty of time for such issues to be aired.
The law, which sets up a four-year trial program, doesn't take effect until Jan. 1. After that, state regulators will spend months coming up with rules spelling out who gets to open the 22 marijuana growing operations across Illinois, which businesses get the 60 licenses to sell the finished product and how patients will get medical marijuana cards from doctors. Then a panel of state lawmakers will decide whether the regulations are drawn tightly enough.
By the time that plays out, crops are grown and the pot stores open, it could be fall 2014 before those afflicted with one of 40 or so medical conditions can legally toke up to ease their pain.
But the long lead time is not stopping the legalized marijuana industry from descending on Chicago in three weeks for a "cannabusiness symposium."
There'll be how-to panels, tips on dealing with the government and, of course, networking opportunities more big business than the peace-and-love image the less-successful push to legalize recreational use of marijuana calls to mind.
When those with a medical marijuana card are legally able to get the product, they'll be allowed up to 2.5 ounces every two weeks. That's about enough to fill two small plastic sandwich bags. They'll also be able to buy it baked into brownies, muffins, croutons and trail bars. And they can expect to pay taxes on their pot purchases. In Colorado, patients pay $80 and above for an ounce of medical marijuana, choosing from varieties with names like "Jack Flash," "Sour Diesel" and "LA Kush."
Illinois restrictions
But unlike Colorado, which has come under fire for lax marijuana regulations even as the state gets ready to legalize recreational pot use next year, drafters of Illinois' law say it will be among the toughest in the nation.
Patients here can't grow their own pot and must have an existing relationship with a prescribing doctor. To qualify, patients must be diagnosed with a serious to chronic illness laid out in the law, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma or HIV. It's likely that patients would have to pay out of pocket for marijuana, as it is not typically covered by insurance companies.
The Illinois Department of Public Health will be in charge of issuing medical marijuana cards to patients and their caregivers, who could purchase and administer pot on behalf of those who are ill. Patients and caregivers would be fingerprinted, undergo background checks and must promise not to sell or give away marijuana. Workers at grow centers and dispensaries will undergo the same vetting.
The state will license 22 growers, one for each State Police district, as well as up to 60 dispensing centers to be spread across the state. Exactly where those growers and sellers could locate will be up to state regulators. Local communities could enforce strict zoning laws, but they could not prevent a grower or dispensary from setting up shop in town.
Growers and dispensaries will be charged a 7 percent "privilege tax," which will be used to enforce the medical marijuana law. Patients will be charged a 1 percent tax for purchasing pot, the same rate that applies to pharmaceuticals. Additionally, growers and dispensaries would be banned from donating to political campaigns.
Marijuana use would be banned in public, in vehicles, around minors and near school grounds. Property owners would have the ability to ban marijuana use on their grounds. Employers would maintain their rights to a drug-free work place, meaning someone with a valid medical marijuana card could be fired for using the drug if their employer prohibits it.
Advocates argue that Illinois' law is drafted tightly enough to prevent intervention from the federal government, which classifies all marijuana use as illegal. But the discrepancy between state and national law is already causing concerns for some military veterans, as federally run veterans hospitals say their doctors won't issue prescriptions for illegal drugs.
Legislators tried to get around that prohibition by providing a loophole in the law that would allow veterans to receive a prescription for pot from someone other than the primary care provider, but advocates say the federal government's stance prevents veterans from having honest conversations about the possible benefits of medical marijuana.
It presents a pretty big stumbling block for vets," said Michael Krawitz, executive director of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, a group based near Blacksburg, Va.