Poll Shows Strong Support for Medical Marijuana
ORLAND PARK, IL — In a just-released poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, 67% of voters in what will be Senate District 18 support allowing patients with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and other serious illnesses to purchase and use marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. The poll of more than 300 registered likely voters was conducted May 12 and 13, 2012 and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project. These results are similar to the national level of support for medical marijuana laws. A strong majority of those polled also said that marijuana is a safer alternative to OxyContin for pain treatment and that states should be able to permit the medical use of marijuana instead of waiting for the federal government to act.
Rep. William Cunningham, the Democratic nominee for Senate in District 18, will have the opportunity to follow the will of his potential constituents on this issue during the current legislative session. House Bill 30, now pending in the Illinois House of Representatives, would allow seriously ill patients who have one of a specific set of qualifying conditions to use, possess, and purchase marijuana from licensed entities. Only one medical cannabis organization will be permitted in each Senate district. The bill could be voted on any day now, and, if passed, would create one of the most tightly regulated medical marijuana systems in the nation.
Mike Graham, an Illinois resident with degenerative disc disease, was glad to see the poll results. "I've been prescribed large doses of morphine and other opiate narcotics to control my symptoms, but I now use medical cannabis because it’s more effective with less debilitating side effects,” he said. “It heartens me to know that my fellow Illinois residents don't think that I should be labeled a criminal for this. I hope Mr. Cunningham listens to local voters and lends his support to HB 30."
The poll is available here: http://bit.ly/JzVGfm.
