Pubdate: Sun, 02 Nov 2008
Source: Courier News (Elgin, IL)
Copyright: 2008 The Courier News
Contact:  http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1200
Author: Dan Linn

KUDOS TO SEN. NOLAND ON MEDICAL CANNABIS STAND

I would like to thank state Sen. Michael Noland for taking a stand to
protect Illinois patients and co-sponsoring Senate Bill 2865.

Senate Bill 2865 and its partner bill, House Bill 5938, would protect
medical cannabis patients in Illinois. HB 5938 is sponsored by a
Republican, so hopefully this vital issue will not get caught up in
partisan politics.

If passed, the Illinois Department of Public Health would administer
the medical cannabis program and to qualify, patients would need
written certification from a doctor to obtain a state-issued medical
cannabis identification card, which must be renewed at regular intervals.

It is cruel that the federal government continues to deny the medical
efficacy of cannabis despite vast scientific evidence to the contrary,
not a documented overdose fatality and a few patients who receive
their medical cannabis from the feds. Currently, 12 states have
medical cannabis programs, and Illinois needs to be the next state to
allow the sick and dying to use cannabis for medical reasons.

Safe access to cannabis for patients and research has been endorsed by
a growing number of professional health care organizations, including
the American Public Health Association and the American Nurses
Association.

Dan Linn

Sycamore
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin