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Westchester Referendum on Pot Sales

Protect Your Family, Community & Property Values – VOTE NO   

Westchester residents are being given an opportunity to shape their future. The following referendum question appears on the ballot, asking voters:

Shall the Village of Westchester prohibit the location of adult-use cannabis dispensing organizations within the Village of Westchester?

Though Illinois lawmakers failed us, communities can help to reduce the harm legalization brings with it by prohibiting retail businesses from setting up shop.

It’s no secret that with legalization comes an increase in black market crime, traffic fatalities, more addiction and more young people being drawn into a life of drugs.

Marijuana is still a federally controlled Schedule 1 drug.

Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

  • Voting NO will send the right message to young people in the community about the dangers of this drug. Communities that allow marijuana stores are sending a message that it’s not harmful, thereby lowering the perception of risk which increases use.
  • Voting NO will limit drug traffic in your community. Westchester does NOT want to be a destination point for users seeking to purchase their next stash of drugs.
  • Voting NO will force marijuana business owners to locate elsewhere, out of reach of those who have a greater tendency to become addicted.
  • Voting NO would likely prevent an increase in criminal activity associated with retail marijuana businesses.
  • Voting NO will have a positive impact on your property values.
  • Voting NO would help protect your family and community from a host of unintended consequences. Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community. (Learn more at NoWeedIllinois.com)

IFI strongly recommends that you vote NO when you cast your ballot.




Rosemont Referendum on Pot Sales

Protect Your Family, Community & Property Values – VOTE NO   

Rosemont residents are being given an opportunity to shape their future. The following referendum question appears on the ballot, asking voters:

Shall the Village of Rosemont, Cook County, Illinois, allow cannabis dispensaries to operate within the boundaries of the Village of Rosemont?

Though Illinois lawmakers failed us, communities can help to reduce the harm legalization brings with it by prohibiting retail businesses from setting up shop.

It’s no secret that with legalization comes an increase in black market crime, traffic fatalities, more addiction and more young people being drawn into a life of drugs.

Marijuana is still a federally controlled Schedule 1 drug.

Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

  • Voting NO will send the right message to young people in the community about the dangers of this drug. Communities that allow marijuana stores are sending a message that it’s not harmful, thereby lowering the perception of risk which increases use.
  • Voting NO will limit drug traffic in your community. Rosemont does NOT want to be a destination point for users seeking to purchase their next stash of drugs.
  • Voting NO will force marijuana business owners to locate elsewhere, out of reach of those who have a greater tendency to become addicted.
  • Voting NO would likely prevent an increase in criminal activity associated with retail marijuana businesses.
  • Voting NO will have a positive impact on your property values.
  • Voting NO would help protect your family and community from a host of unintended consequences. Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community. (Learn more at NoWeedIllinois.com)

IFI strongly recommends that you vote NO when you cast your ballot.




Northlake Referendum on Pot Sales

Protect Your Family, Community & Property Values – VOTE NO   

Northlake residents are being given an opportunity to shape their future. The following referendum question appears on the ballot, asking voters:

Shall the City of Northlake allow cannabis businesses to operate within the City of Northlake?

Though Illinois lawmakers failed us, communities can help to reduce the harm legalization brings with it by prohibiting retail businesses from setting up shop.

It’s no secret that with legalization comes an increase in black market crime, traffic fatalities, more addiction and more young people being drawn into a life of drugs.

Marijuana is still a federally controlled Schedule 1 drug.

Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

  • Voting NO will send the right message to young people in the community about the dangers of this drug. Communities that allow marijuana stores are sending a message that it’s not harmful, thereby lowering the perception of risk which increases use.
  • Voting NO will limit drug traffic in your community. Northlake does NOT want to be a destination point for users seeking to purchase their next stash of drugs.
  • Voting NO will force marijuana business owners to locate elsewhere, out of reach of those who have a greater tendency to become addicted.
  • Voting NO would likely prevent an increase in criminal activity associated with retail marijuana businesses.
  • Voting NO will have a positive impact on your property values.
  • Voting NO would help protect your family and community from a host of unintended consequences. Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community. (Learn more at NoWeedIllinois.com)

IFI strongly recommends that you vote NO when you cast your ballot.




Lemont Referendum on Pot Sales

Protect Your Family, Community & Property Values – VOTE NO   

Lemont residents are being given an opportunity to shape their future. The following referendum question appears on the ballot, asking voters:

Shall the Village of Lemont, in Counties of Cook, Will and DuPage, Illinois, allow the operation of a recreational cannabis (marijuana) dispensary within its jurisdiction?

Though Illinois lawmakers failed us, communities can help to reduce the harm legalization brings with it by prohibiting retail businesses from setting up shop.

It’s no secret that with legalization comes an increase in black market crime, traffic fatalities, more addiction and more young people being drawn into a life of drugs.

Marijuana is still a federally controlled Schedule 1 drug.

Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

  • Voting NO will send the right message to young people in the community about the dangers of this drug. Communities that allow marijuana stores are sending a message that it’s not harmful, thereby lowering the perception of risk which increases use.
  • Voting NO will limit drug traffic in your community. Lemont does NOT want to be a destination point for users seeking to purchase their next stash of drugs.
  • Voting NO will force marijuana business owners to locate elsewhere, out of reach of those who have a greater tendency to become addicted.
  • Voting NO would likely prevent an increase in criminal activity associated with retail marijuana businesses.
  • Voting NO will have a positive impact on your property values.
  • Voting NO would help protect your family and community from a host of unintended consequences. Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community. (Learn more at NoWeedIllinois.com)

IFI strongly recommends that you vote NO when you cast your ballot.




Cicero Referendum on Pot Sales

Protect Your Family, Community & Property Values – VOTE NO   

Cicero residents are being given an opportunity to shape their future. The following referendum question appears on the ballot, asking voters:

Should the sale of cannabis and cannabis products for recreational use by adults 21 and older be allowed at licensed dispensaries within the Town of Cicero?

Though Illinois lawmakers failed us, communities can help to reduce the harm legalization brings with it by prohibiting retail businesses from setting up shop.

It’s no secret that with legalization comes an increase in black market crime, traffic fatalities, more addiction and more young people being drawn into a life of drugs.

Marijuana is still a federally controlled Schedule 1 drug.

Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

  • Voting NO will send the right message to young people in the community about the dangers of this drug. Communities that allow marijuana stores are sending a message that it’s not harmful, thereby lowering the perception of risk which increases use.
  • Voting NO will limit drug traffic in your community. Cicero does NOT want to be a destination point for users seeking to purchase their next stash of drugs.
  • Voting NO will force marijuana business owners to locate elsewhere, out of reach of those who have a greater tendency to become addicted.
  • Voting NO would likely prevent an increase in criminal activity associated with retail marijuana businesses.
  • Voting NO will have a positive impact on your property values.
  • Voting NO would help protect your family and community from a host of unintended consequences. Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community. (Learn more at NoWeedIllinois.com)

IFI strongly recommends that you vote NO when you cast your ballot.




Naperville Referendum on Pot Sales

Protect Your Family, Community & Property Values – VOTE NO   

Naperville residents are being given an opportunity to shape their future. The following referendum question appears on the ballot, asking voters:

“Shall the city of Naperville, in light of state legislation legalizing the possession, consumption, and sale of recreational adult use cannabis, allow the sale of recreational adult use cannabis within its jurisdiction?”

Though Illinois lawmakers failed us, communities can help to reduce the harm legalization brings with it by prohibiting retail businesses from setting up shop.

It’s no secret that with legalization comes an increase in black market crime, traffic fatalities, more addiction and more young people being drawn into a life of drugs.

Marijuana is still a federally controlled Schedule 1 drug.

Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

  • Voting NO will send the right message to young people in the community about the dangers of this drug. Communities that allow marijuana stores are sending a message that it’s not harmful, thereby lowering the perception of risk which increases use.
  • Voting NO will limit drug traffic in your community. Naperville does NOT want to be a destination point for users seeking to purchase their next stash of drugs.
  • Voting NO will force marijuana business owners to locate elsewhere, out of reach of those who have a greater tendency to become addicted.
  • Voting NO would likely prevent an increase in criminal activity associated with retail marijuana businesses.
  • Voting NO will have a positive impact on your property values.
  • Voting NO would help protect your family and community from a host of unintended consequences. Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community. (Learn more at NoWeedIllinois.com)

IFI strongly recommends that you vote NO when you cast your ballot.




A Narco-Nation of Potheads, Courtesy of George Soros

Written by Cliff Kincaid

Billionaire George Soros was named “Philanthropist of the Year” by Inside Philanthropy magazine for his “…fight for academic freedom in Central Europe, and his resistance to the rising tide of authoritarianism worldwide.”  The former is a reference to gender studies programs and the latter concerns his ongoing campaign to undermine existing governments, causing chaos that makes more money for hedge fund currency manipulators and short-sellers like himself.

In the United States, he is best known for almost single-handedly creating a narco-nation through legalization of marijuana, causing human suffering and environmental devastation on a scale most people do not yet comprehend.

With the nation focused on the opioid danger, and President Donald J. Trump accusing China of pumping fentanyl into the veins of American victims through Mexico, the marijuana problem has gotten less attention. Indeed, liberal politicians and prosecutors, some of them getting Soros money, are treating the dope as a harmless substance and even a money-maker for local and state governments.

For one of the most sensational examples of a notorious pothead, consider Aaron Hernandez, the former NFL star who became a convicted killer and then killed himself in prison. The subject of a new Netflix series, “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez,” he was a chronic marijuana user throughout college and his NFL career who experienced brain damage from the drug. The case proves a direct link between marijuana, mental illness, and violence.

In California, legal dope was supposed to displace illegal dope. But illicit cannabis cultivation sites are proliferating, offering a cheaper product than the government-approved variety. The Siskiyou County (California) Board of Supervisors voted on a new Declaration of Local Emergency that refers to illegal growers being responsible for “hundreds of pervasive fire hazards, insecticides, pesticides, rodenticides, fertilizers, trash, and unsanitary conditions which severely impact health, safety and quality of life for countless county residents…”

It’s in Barack Hussein Obama’s state of Illinois that we see some of the recent damage being done.

Illinois last year became the first state to legalize the marijuana business through legislation rather than by referendum and placing excise and sales taxes on the “product.” We can already see the predictable result — marijuana-related emergency room visits are on the rise. The local ABC-TV station in Chicago quotes doctors as saying the most common symptoms of the new potheads in Illinois are restlessness, heart palpitations and anxiety, but that “In some cases we are seeing full on psychosis, agitation, hallucinations.”

Incredibly, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton was one of the first in line to purchase the dope. She bought clementine-flavored marijuana edible gummies and paid with cash. The scene was captured by CNN as she was pictured among hundreds of early-morning customers at a Chicago marijuana dispensary.  She probably went to the front of the line, but some people waited hours in order to buy their “recreational marijuana” and get “high.”

David E. Smith of the Illinois Family Institute comments, “Not only have lawmakers failed to do their due diligence before passing this marijuana law, but they also failed to heed the compelling research that indicates how regular use of marijuana affects young people, including an increased risk of psychiatric illnesses and a permanent loss of IQ points.”

In fact, this is the plan – dumb people down so they ruin their lives and then have to be dependent on the state for the rest of their lives. The potheads are fast becoming an important new constituency for the socialist-minded.

Before they actually navigate their way to the polls, they can relieve their pain by employing another “hemp” product – CBD or cannabidiol.  CBD is being hawked all over, even on the Rush Limbaugh show, and is being advertised as a treatment for “muscle soreness” and “everyday discomfort.” But many complaints have been filed with the FDA over the false medical claims made about CBD.

Dr. Kenneth Finn comments, “These products are everywhere, but there is little scientific evidence to support the hype that surrounds them.” He says unregulated CBD products hitting the market might be contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides, insecticides, molds, E. coli, or fungus.

Official dope distribution is supposed to fill a financial gap. In Illinois, the sixth-biggest state, by population, Politico reporter Theodoric Meyer reports that it has seen its credit rating cut to near-junk status in the decade since the financial crisis. “Its bonds are now considered as risky as those of Russia and Romania,” he notes. “Its pension system is in worse shape than that of almost any other state.”

Writers Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner note that the population of Illinois dropped by 100,000 people between 2010 and 2018 and few of the state’s counties have been spared. “That means that 93 of the state’s 102 counties have shrunk since 2010,” they note. Adam Schuster, Director of Budget and Tax Research at the group, Illinois Policy, reports that 36 percent of the money the state allocates to education will be diverted away from teachers and students to meet required pension payments for retirees.

Former Illinois pension chief Marc Levine is quoted as saying a federal bailout may be required, making this a matter affecting all taxpayers, not just the saps remaining in Illinois.

The “progressive” politicians have virtually bankrupted the state, forcing thousands to flee, and have turned to the cruel exploitation of potheads as a sure-fire money-maker to stave off the final countdown to fiscal oblivion. But legalized dope means more wards of the state who need government help.

Now this is going national. “Once a politically dangerous subject,” notes Trevor Hughes of USA Today, “legal marijuana has become something of a de facto platform plank for the 2020 Democratic candidates: All support either legalizing or decriminalizing its use, and the differences lie in how far the candidates are willing to take it.”

Since 22.2 million people have used marijuana in the past month, this is fertile ground for votes. In a bid for votes, candidate Pete Buttigieg actually toured a “cannabis dispensary” in Las Vegas while commenting that he smoked dope a “handful of times a long time ago.”

President Trump, on the other hand, can just say no. He lost his brother to alcoholism and should consider speaking out against the Soros-funded marijuana craze before more lives are ruined and lost. His Surgeon General, Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams, is already speaking out about the health risks of marijuana use. He needs the backing of his president.

Roger Morgan, author of Soros: The Drug Lord. Pricking the Bubble of American Supremacy, notes the elevated levels of mental illness, addiction, suicides, traffic deaths and the unseen mental and physical defects to babies and future generations from the use of marijuana and other mind-altering drugs.  He adds, “America can never be great again if a major percentage of its young people are brain damaged, mentally ill, addicted or dead.”​


This article was originally published at USASurvival.org. Cliff Kincaid is president of America’s Survival, Inc. www.usasurvival.org




Will The City of Effingham Consider a Ban on Marijuana Retail Sales?

Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Elected officials in the City of Effingham are considering zoning ordinances and guidelines for marijuana sales within city limits. It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy! They need to hear your concerns about the consequences of marijuana sales in the area. They need to be urged to prohibit sales in the community.

The next regular City Council Meeting will be held at the Effingham City Council Chambers on January 21st at 5 PM.

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot are not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to drug traffic and the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later.

Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of legalization.

In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Big Marijuana richer and the City of Effingham a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next month’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of the City of Effingham.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to Mayor Mike Schutzbach and all four City Council members asking them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families they represent by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana. And if you’re able, please attend the January 21st meeting to make your opposition known.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

See the U.S. Surgeon General’s Press Advisory about the health risks of marijuana use.



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SAVE your (grand)KIDS

We have entered a new year where last year’s approved legislation takes effect, including the recreational sale and commercialization of marijuana. David E. Smith, the executive director of IFI warns of the consequences and how Illinois residents should act.




Cutting Through the Fog of Marijuana

What was Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton thinking when she purchased recreational marijuana in Chicago on the first day of its legal sales in Illinois? Does she not understand that as a public official she is setting a reckless and foolish example, especially for children and teens?

Illinois policy makers continue to send a dangerous message to our young people. First, they called marijuana “medicine.” Now, they call it “recreational.” Do you know of any other drug that’s used for both medicine and recreation? The hoax has worked.

Gone are the days of “this is your brain on drugs.” Instead, public officials like Stratton are celebrating drug use by welcoming the marijuana industry to communities throughout the state. Their feckless example will mislead citizens, old and young, into a diminished understanding of the dangers of drug use until it affects them personally. As the perception of risk plummets, drug use (and addictions) will climb.

Not only have lawmakers failed to do their due diligence before passing this marijuana law, but they also failed to heed the compelling research that indicates how regular use of marijuana affects young people, including an increased risk of psychiatric illnesses and a permanent loss of IQ points.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, and religious leaders would do well to counter Stratton’s irresponsible example by returning to the sensible message, “just say no to drugs.”

Myths and Misconceptions

There has been much talk about the so-called “equity” part of the Illinois Recreational Law. The legislative sponsors and their allies in the media are celebrating how this new law will supposedly help create a “clean slate” by righting the wrongs of the so-called “war on drugs,” which they believe disproportionately impacted those who chose to use or deal drugs.  When Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law, he proclaimed it to be the most “equity-centric in the nation.”

The social equity portion of this new law is so important to Illinois regressives that on New Year’s eve, Gov. Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons, clearing marijuana misdemeanor offenses from people’s records. This is only the first wave of such expungements, as it is estimated that 116,000 convictions involving 30 grams or less of marijuana are to be erased.

Is this a good thing? As Christians, we believe in second chances and redemption. Proponents rightly point out that erasing drug-based criminal records will make it easier for thousands of Illinoisans to get jobs, housing, guns* and loans. Regressives want us to believe that they are helping victims of an unjust system that unfairly targeted users. But is that really the truth?

Back in May 2016, retired longtime Cook County State’s Attorney Ed Ronkowski wrote an exclusive for IFI pointing out that “first time cannabis users don’t go to jail or prison.” He goes on to explain that that even the third and fourth time offenders don’t go to jail or prison. It is “only after the fifth arrest will judges start giving out jail or prison because probation did not work. Mr. Ronkowski points out that (in 2014), only 1.4 percent  of Illinois’ prison population was a result of a marijuana violation.

Progressives and the media are not telling you that the vast majority of expungements are being given to repeat offenders. Furthermore, according to Mr. Ronkowski, many of that 1.4 percent are serving time with a marijuana conviction on their record because they plea-bargained down from a more serious offense.

And there’s more to this destructive law. Lawmakers have made sure that those who have been in the illegitimate drug selling business be offered low interest loans to open their own “legitimate” drug-selling businesses.

What else are they not telling you? State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) and State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) want us to believe that Illinois’ new marijuana law is cutting edge, a model for the nation. They promised their colleagues in the General Assembly that they would institute a responsible cap on THC levels that are available for purchase. But even after “legal” marijuana sales have begun, no cap has been instituted by any of our state agencies. This is as foolish as it is dangerous. High concentrate marijuana products are highly addictive and are linked to higher rates of psychosis.  (Read more HERE.)

Take ACTION: Click HERE to contact your state lawmakers to demand that they either repeal this marijuana law or cap the THC level on marijuana products to 15 percent or less. In parts of Europe, marijuana with 15 percent or higher THC levels are considered hard drugs such as heroine and cocaine, due to its highly addictive nature. This is a minimum safegaurd for this foolish law.


*The federal government still classifies marijuana as an illegal Schedule 1 Drug. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says it is a dangerous intoxicant that has “a high potential for abuse.” Regardless of Illinois’ new recreational marijuana law, federal law still prohibits the sale, possession, purchase, and use of marijuana plants and products. According to USACarry.com:

Federal law, supported by administrative orders and court rulings, prohibits marijuana users from owning, possessing, or buying firearms. It also prohibits anyone from selling or giving firearms to a person they know or suspect to be a drug user or even the owner of a medical marijuana card.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) warns would be gun owners “the use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”

Ironically, while marijuana use clearly disqualifies citizens from gun ownership, Illinois’ expungement of criminal drug offenses may actually qualify repeat offenders.


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Legal Pot? NOT IN MY BACKYARD




Opt Your Community Out of Commercial Pot




They Were Warned

Big Marijuana and its foolish proponents easily convinced Illinois state lawmakers that legalization would decrease black market trade and ease the burden on our criminal justice system. IFI warned them that this naive notion was contradicted by the facts, and we shared ample evidence from states that had already approved “recreational” marijuana. The evidence is clear: the black market had been thriving because of legalization.

Now we read that the California cannabis industry is in big trouble and want lawmakers to do something about it. What’s their problem? The black market is doing 73 percent of California’s marijuana business – or $8.7 billion. (Read more HERE.)

California is considered to be the largest cannabis market in the world. While 2019 is not yet over, it’s estimated that their total marijuana sales will top nearly $12 billion.

Yes, the black market is thriving on the left coast, growing by leaps and bounds, and threatening to bury a quasi-legitimate (sic) industry. So much for the influx of revenue they’re anticipating.

According to Michael Steinmetz, CEO of the marijuana company Flow Kana, they are also having to cut marijuana industry jobs. Prior to legalization, weed proponents also promised more jobs.

If it wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable. But it is no laughing matter.

Of course, the black market is thriving in California. And it will grow here in Illinois because lawmakers were foolish enough to legalize, ignoring both California and Colorado as prime examples of the serious consequences of this ill-advised policy.

The black market doesn’t pay taxes. They don’t pay a minimum wage. They don’t follow regulations. They don’t purchase licenses or pay any fees (also known as taxes). They don’t pay workman’s compensation insurance or any of the overhead associated with running a brick-and-mortar establishment. The result is cheaper, but much more potent marijuana, which is what consumers of weed want.

But with black market activity comes other serious problems. One being much more marijuana than they’re able to regulate and control. As in California and Colorado, our communities will be flooded with “legal” plus black market weed.

Chelsea Clarke is the Strategic Intelligence Unit Supervisor for the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in Colorado. She says that law enforcement is busier now dealing with black market activity post legalization than they were beforehand.

Furthermore, policy makers have sent a dangerous message to our young people. First, we called it “medicine.” Now, we call it “recreational.” Gone are the days of “this is your brain on drugs.” Instead, we are welcoming the marijuana industry and boutique retail stores to our neighborhoods so that we can tax its use and provide a new revenue stream to bail lawmakers out of years of their overspending.

As a result, Illinois citizens will be lulled into a diminished understanding of the dangers of drug use until it affects them personally. As the perception of risk plummets, drug use (and addictions) will climb rapidly.

“It’s no big deal.” That’s Big Marijuana’s approved message and it is being taught to our children and our culture.

Why did state lawmakers choose to send such a terrible message and set this example for our children and grandchildren? Just for a puny new revenue stream?

They don’t understand that multiple studies show that when young people under 25-yrs-old regularly use today’s potent marijuana, they can lose up to 8 IQ points permanently. Some studies are available HERE, HERE and HERE. Why is it that the new Illinois law gives the green light to anyone 21 years or older to use when we know, empirically, that permanent brain damage is a legitimate risk of regular use?

It isn’t very difficult to see what problems are right around the corner as more drugs become freely (and cheaply) available.

But there’s more.

While marijuana is growing the black market, it’s also poisoning our water and land on public lands. Black Market (mostly) marijuana is found to be laced with chemical rodenticides, pesticides and other toxins used by illegal weed growers to ward off animals that eat their plants, who are then found dead mere feet from the plants, along with dead flies that have feasted on the carcasses. These chemicals then leach into the land and water. Most of the chemicals that authorities have found at these black market grow sites are banned in the U.S. and Europe because of their extreme toxicity. One eighth of a teaspoon of one such chemical, Carbofuran, will kill a 300-pound bear.

Dr. Mourad Gabriel, an expert in wildlife pathology, earned his Ph.D in Comparative Pathology at the University of California Davis. He spent time sharing with us what he regularly finds when he goes into these illegal grow sites in California, accompanied by armed guards. He also spoke about the thriving black market.

What’s the solution?

Educate yourself on the harms of high potency marijuana. Teach your children that drug use is a deadly trap. Teach them about addictions and how hard they are to break. Contact your local city council members to urge them to ban retail sales of marijuana in your community. Find a local state candidate running for office who opposes legalization and get involved in his/her campaign.




Palatine Considers Banning Marijuana Sales – And You Can Help!

Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Elected officials in the Village of Palatine are considering a ban on limiting drug traffic and marijuana sales within village limits. We hope and pray that they will seriously consider an ordinance that would prohibit marijuana retail businesses from setting up shop in the community.

It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy! They need to hear your concerns about the consequences of marijuana sales in the area.

The Village of Palatine has scheduled meeting on Monday, December 9th at 7 PM. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers at Village Hall: 200 E. Wood Street in Palatine, Illinois  60067

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot are not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to drug traffic and the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later.

Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than California and Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of legalization.

California is considered the largest cannabis market in the world. But they’re in huge trouble. While 2019 is not yet over, it’s estimated that their total marijuana sales will come in at near $12 billion. But the black market accounts for 73% of that $12 billion or $8.7 billion!

We were promised that regulating this Schedule 1 drug would eliminate the black market. They don’t pay taxes, or license fees, follow regulations, pay insurance premiums or minimum wage. The result is cheaper weed, which is exactly what users want.

If it wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable.

In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Big Marijuana richer and the Palatine a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next week’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of Palatine.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to Mayor Jim Schwantz and all six council members asking them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families they represent by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana. And if you’re able, please attend the December 9th hearing and make your opposition known.

–> Please LIKE/FOLLOW the OPT OUT PALATINE Facebook page

–> Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

–> See the U.S. Surgeon General’s Press Advisory about the health risks of marijuana use.



A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

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Sangamon County Considers Ban on Marijuana Businesses

Written by Julia Reinthaler and David E. Smith

Sangamon County Board members will vote this Tuesday evening on a proposal to opt unincorporated portions of the county out of marijuana business, trafficking and sales. It is imperative that local officials hear from pro-family residents, especially the clergy in support of this common sense action! They need to hear your concerns about the consequences of marijuana business and sales in the area.

The board is scheduled to take this vote at their next meeting on Tuesday, November 12th at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held in room 101 at the Sangamon County Complex: 200 South Ninth Street, Springfield, 62701.

Don’t let proponents deceive you with their “tax revenues” talking points. According to a report published by the Centennial Institute, “for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spend approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization.” The costs of legal pot are not worth the costs to families, communities and lives.

Although the licensed growth, sale, possession and use of marijuana will be legal in Illinois effective January 1, 2020, the legislation signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker allows villages, cities and counties to opt out of marijuana retail sales. This gives communities the opportunity to say “no” to drug traffic and the retail presence of a federally classified Schedule 1 Drug, a dangerous intoxicant that the DEA deems has “a high potential for abuse.”

Far from being an innocuous drug that the marijuana lobby portrays as safe and even medicinal, marijuana has serious health risks that should alarm any parent and community.

According to a 2017 review from the National Academy of Medicine, cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, and among regular users it is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

According to a 2018 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, people who used cannabis were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later.

Another study, released in Australia, cited that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis experienced even greater pain over time, dispelling the myth that pot relieves pain better than other available pain medicines.

To understand the effects that marijuana legalization will ultimately have in Illinois, we need look no further than Colorado to see a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of legalization.

In the six years since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana has doubled. There have been increased rates in marijuana-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and higher rates of violent crime. Though legal for 21 and older, more than a fourth of Colorado’s middle and high school students use pot more than once daily. Chronic use by those under 25 can lead to a permanent loss of up to 8 IQ points.

Knowing what we know about the tragic and often irreversible effects of marijuana, we cannot in good conscience permit a retailer to peddle a drug that robs so many youth of their future and compromises the safety of our citizenry. Instead of making Big Marijuana richer and the County of Sangamon a haven for those selling the drug and those seeking to purchase it, let’s make it a refuge for families seeking to shield their loved ones from this drug’s destructive path.

Next month’s meeting might lead to a vote that will shape the future of the County of Sangamon.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to all 29 Sangamon County Board Members asking them to reduce drug traffic and protect the families they represent by passing a ban on the retail sales of marijuana. And if you’re able, please attend the November 12th hearing and make your opposition known.

Learn more about marijuana’s consequences at NoWeedIllinois.com.

See the U.S. Surgeon General’s Press Advisory about the health risks of marijuana use.



A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.