March 14, 2008

For Immediate Release

Springfield, IL- A bill to allow police officers to issue a citation for misdemeanor cannabis offenses will die today after not making it out of committee yesterday. March 14 is the deadline for House Bills to be out of committee and unfortunately with this bill remaining in committee it will not get to the House floor. The bill almost passed with a vote of 5-5 and one voting present and one committee member absent at the time of the vote.

Another bill that will die today is HB 5938, the Alternative Treatment Act, which would have protected medical cannabis patients from arrest did not make it out of committee either. HB 5938 was voted down in the House Healthcare Availability and Access committee on March 10 by a vote of 9-3.

However, Senate Bill 2865, after testimony by medical cannabis patients made it out of the Public Health committee with a vote of 6-4 in favor and will be read on the Senate floor on April 1. SB 2865 is written the same as HB 5938 but has been amended to allow for only 8 cannabis plants to be grown instead of 12 as originally proposed.

If approved by Illinois Senate the bill will go to the House and likely be assigned to the same committee that voted down HB 5938. While this committee does have a Democratic majority, due to the vote on HB 5938 it is crucial that these committee members realize how vital this bill is to those with serious illnesses and debilitating conditions.

Please call 217-782-2000 and have the state operator connect you to your State Senator's office. Tell your State Senator to cosponsor and vote in favor of SB 2865, the Alternative Treatment Act. Also please do the same with your State Representative and let us know what responses you get back from them.


Contact
Dan Linn Executive Director, Illinois NORML 847-341-0591

The Illinois chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Free Membership Offer to anyone arrested for a cannabis offense or lost opportunity from a drug test

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