Medical marijuana bill defeated in committee

Following weeks of sustained pressure by MPP activists, the House Human Services Committee brought H.B. 407—Rep. Larry McKeon's (D-Chicago) medical marijuana bill—back up for another vote. The ultimate result, however, was no better.

Originally, the bill went down 7-4 after the White House illegally sent Drug Czar John Walters to lobby against it. This morning, the vote was 6-5. Committee Democrats Naomi Jakobsson (Champaign) and Michelle Chavez (Cicero) can claim credit for continuing Illinois' practice of arresting and imprisoning patients who use medical marijuana with the approval of their doctors. Their negative votes will be neither forgotten nor forgiven. Jakobsson and Chavez would be better served by listening to their constituents instead of caving to the grandstanding of the White House.

In the meantime, please let your legislators know how disappointed you are that Illinois still intends to arrest and incarcerate patients who use medical marijuana with the approval of their doctors.

Though medical marijuana patients will not be protected this year by the Illinois General Assembly, MPP would like to thank IDEAL Reform, Illinois NORML, medical marijuana patient Irv Rosenfeld, and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).

The Urbana-Champaign SSDP chapter deserves specific recognition for presenting the obstinate Naomi Jakobsson with more than 400 signed statements of support for H.B. 407. They also met with her repeatedly, helped place Op-Eds, and put as much pressure on a lawmaker as is possible. Her confounding betrayal of her constituents—and of patients at risk of arrest and incarceration—could well come back to haunt her as she seeks the votes of those very constituents she ignored.

Support for medical marijuana is still strong in Illinois, and with continued pressure from activists like you, it will become law in a matter of time. Thank you for your continuing support of the Marijuana Policy Project.