Illinois medical marijuana bill set for hearing Tuesday
If we all pull together now, Illinois could become the 12th state to enact medical marijuana legislation. Introduced by Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), SB 650 would remove criminal penalties for the state's seriously ill medical marijuana patients. This bill is similar to past legislation introduced in Illinois. Last year Sen. Cullerton sponsored a medical marijuana bill that received a 6-5 favorable vote in committee. Let's see that it makes it out of committee this year with even more support.
The first hearing on SB 650 will be held this Tuesday, March 6, at the Capitol in Springfield. The hearing will take place before the Senate Public Health Committee sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in room 400. If you would like to attend the hearing in support of SB 650, call Nathan at (202) 462-5747, ext. 118, for more details.
If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to call the committee members and urge them to support SB 650 on Tuesday.
Susan Garrett — chairperson (D-29th District) — (217) 782-3650
William Delgado — vice-chairperson (D-2 nd District) — (217) 782-5652
Carole Pankau — minority spokesperson (R-23 rd District) — (217) 782-9463
Mattie Hunter — (D-3 rd District) — (217) 782-5966
Kimberly A. Lightford — (D-4th District) — (217) 782-8505
Iris Y. Martinez — (D-20 th District) — (217) 782-8191
Kwame Raoul — (D-13 th District) — (217) 782-5338
Jeffrey M. Schoenberg — (D-9 th District) — (217) 782-2119
Bill Brady — (R-44 th District) — (217) 782-6216
Christine Radogno — (R-41 st District) — (217) 782-9407
Dale A. Righter — (R-55 th District) — (217) 782-6674
Please e-mail me at nathan@mpp.org to let me know of any feedback your senator gives you.
After you have called the committee members, send your senator an e-mail urging him or her to support SB 650. Remember to personalize your e-mail as much as possible by including something personal about yourself — like how you came to support medical marijuana or how Illinois not having a law that protects patients has affected someone you know.
One of the most important things you can do right now is send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in support of SB 650. Although we have provided you with talking points, you may want to use some of the material available in our library when composing your letter. Try to write a letter that is as clear, to the point, and unique as possible. It is very important that we get letters from supporters printed in Illinois newspapers over the next few weeks. If legislators see that people are supporting SB 650 when they read the morning paper, they will take note. This issue is already getting press; click here to read a great editorial that recently appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please forward this alert to your friends and family in Illinois, so that they may also become involved in reform.
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