Veto Session: “Medical” Marijuana in the Land of Lincoln?

Illinois state lawmakers return to Springfield today for the first day of the lame duck Veto Session.

Among the many pieces of legislation the legislature might take up is HB 30, which would legalize “medical” marijuana.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to email your state representative now and urge him/her to vote “NO” on HB 30.

Facts about HB 30:

If passed, HB 30 would allow the creation of 59 “medical” marijuana stores throughout the state of Illinois – one for each state senate district.

If passed, HB 30 would conflict with federal and Illinois zero tolerance drug laws.

HB 30 allows for a qualified patient to get 2½ ounces of marijuana every 14 days (183 joints, 13 per day). Even the most experienced marijuana drug user smokes on average three to four joints a day, which would leave roughly 135 joints, or around 1.8 ounces. The patient could sell the 1.8 ounces of marijuana for $250 to $550. Diversion of medical marijuana would be a problem for schools and teachers.

HB 30 would permit a qualified medical marijuana patient to drive a school bus or a car 6 hours after consumption. Research shows that a single marijuana joint with a moderate level of THC can impair a person’s ability to drive for more than 24 hours. (Leirer et al, 1991) Marijuana impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance. It can slow reaction time, impair motor coordination, limit short-term memory, and make it difficult to concentrate and perform complex tasks.

One third (33%) of all drivers in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for which there were known drug test results were positive for one or more drug. Marijuana was the most frequently identified drug, accounting for 28% of drug positive drivers. (NHTSA 2010)

Each year, two-thirds of new marijuana users are under the age of 18. One in six of these adolescents will go on to develop marijuana use or dependence. (SAMSHA, 2010; Hall and Degenhardt, 2009)

Teens that start smoking marijuana regularly (20 times a month) before age 18 and are dependent show an average IQ decline of 8 points by age 38. (Persistent Cannabis User Show Neuropsychological Decline from Childhood to Midlife, Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study)

Colorado experienced an explosion in their medical marijuana industry and students were able to easily access marijuana from the increased number of registered users. Since 2009, public school suspensions for drug violations increased 45 percent, expulsions for drug violations increased 35 percent, and referrals to law enforcement increased 17 percent.

Time is short. Please call your legislator now and urge him or her to oppose HB 30. It will only take a minute, so please take action now. Then share this alert with your friends and family in Illinois so that they, too, can ask their representatives to stand against anti-family policies like HB 30.

Thank you!

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