H.B. 4868 receives hearing, is placed in subcommittee

On Tuesday, March 2, medical marijuana bill H.B. 4868 received a hearing in the House Health Care Availability and Access Committee. Unfortunately, because of the upcoming March 16 primary, there was a reluctance by certain members to consider the legislation. Thus, the bill was projected to lose the committee vote. So, instead of bringing the bill up for a vote and taking a loss, medical marijuana supporter and Health Care Availability and Access Committee Chairperson Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) placed the bill in a subcommittee. The bill will receive another hearing this summer.

It should be noted that the drug czar's office was on the scene lobbying against the bill. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's deputy director for drug demand reduction, Dr. Andrea Barthwell, held a press conference on Tuesday morning. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, Dr. Barthwell denied marijuana's capacity as an effective medicine. And as part of her message from the federal government to Illinois, she said that H.B. 4868 would send the wrong message to children.

Fortunately, MPP caught wind of Barthwell's press conference in advance and was able to counteract her disingenuous message to the media. In the very same room, medical marijuana proponents held their own press conference immediately afterward. Lead cosponsor Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago), Dr. Edward Lack—a surgeon and cancer survivor—and MS and glaucoma patient Brenda Kratovil—who was arrested and convicted for her medical marijuana use—spoke of their own experiences and described the necessity of H.B. 4868.

You can view all of the press on the medical marijuana hearing and press conferences by clicking here.

MPP would like to thank Rep. McKeon and the other bill sponsors; our lobbying firm, Ronan Potts; the doctors, medical marijuana patients, and activists who worked on and testified for the medical marijuana bill; and you for contacting your legislators in support of the bill. MPP would like to extend special thanks to Matt Atwood and IDEAL Reform for their hard work coordinating the press conference and testimony for the committee hearing. IDEAL Reform is currently organizing in Illinois, preparing for the next big legislative push for medical marijuana. To be a part of the action, visit www.idealreform.org/action/volunteer.shtml to sign up.

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