Ill.: Act today! House adjourns, but May medical marijuana vote still possible

Published: May 11, 2010

The Illinois House of Representatives adjourned on May 7 without voting on the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. But we still have an opportunity to pass a compassionate medical cannabis law in 2010, and we need your help now more than ever. The House will return sometime this month because the state’s budget still needs to be approved, and SB 1381 could be called for a vote if we get the 60 confirmed "yes" votes that are needed. We are just a few votes shy and we need your help to send this bill to Gov. Pat Quinn.

Please write your representative today, and ask him or her to vote “yes” on SB 1381. In addition to e-mailing your representative, we encourage you to call your representative to tell him or her that you support SB 1381, and to ask for his or her "yes" vote on this compassionate bill. Please be sure to let me know of any response you get. Then, be sure to ask all of your friends and family in Illinois to reach out to their representatives.

Please let me know if you would like to volunteer or if you have a personal connection to the issue, including if you have a serious illness or are a medical professional or member of the clergy. Be sure to include your address or nine-digit ZIP code so I can determine who your representative is.

Please don’t forget to follow up on your letter by calling your representative, and by sharing this alert with friends, family, and neighbors who also support compassionate, doctor-recommended medical marijuana access in Illinois. You may also like to tune in to Chicago’s Fox 32 on Wednesday between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. EST, when Rep. Lang will be appearing to discuss SB 1381 and medical cannabis in Illinois. Julie Falco, medical cannabis patient and multiple sclerosis sufferer, will also be featured on the program. 

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all that you have done to help advance this legislation. With your help, patients like these may no longer have to live in fear of arrest for using the medicine that works for them.