Ill.: Your state senator may be the deciding vote on medical marijuana

Please use our automated system to send a free fax today and then follow up with a phone call. If you have anything personal to say about allowing the seriously ill to use medical marijuana — e.g., you or a loved one could benefit from this law — we strongly encourage you to customize your message. We are very close to the 30 committed votes needed to ensure passage of this bill in the Senate thanks to people like you taking action, but we are not there yet. Please be sure to let us know of any response you get from your senator's office by sending an e-mail to state@mpp.org.

Yesterday, sponsor Bill Haine (D-Alton) submitted one last round of amendments to SB 1381, which the Senate Public Health Committee promptly approved with a 6-2 vote.  These and prior amendments significantly tightened the bill to address the concerns of opponents, specifically those in the law enforcement community. Hesitant legislators will hopefully be persuaded by Sen. Haine's honest effort to meet the needs of everyone in the state.

There is still time for more positive media coverage, so please submit a letter to the editor of your local paper today. This week has been one of the best ever for positive media coverage of medical marijuana in Illinois. The Chicago Sun Times editorialized in favor of the bill, the Chicago Tribune reported on clergy support, and more stories are expected to run before the end of the week. Now, we need you to help capitalize on this fortunate turn of events by submitting your own letter.

If you have already contacted your senator in support of SB 1381, then the best way you can help is to forward this alert to others in your community and plead with them to take action as well. Please also ask anyone you know in Illinois to write and call their senator.