Another bill that would allow seriously ill Illinois residents to use medical marijuana has been introduced, after a similar bill was narrowly defeated last year. According to The Illinois Observer, the House Human Services Committee voted yesterday to send the bill to the full House for a vote.

The new bill, H.B. 30, will have a much better chance at passing this year. New restrictions have been added to ease concerns from some lawmakers, and Governor Quinn has stated that he would consider signing it if the bill makes it through the legislature.

MPP has been pushing one form of medical marijuana bill or another in Illinois since 2004. It looks like this may finally be the year we can get through to lawmakers and get it passed. With 16 effective medical marijuana laws on the books around the country, and 12 other states considering medical marijuana bills this year, Illinois legislators will have to think twice before voting “nay” again. Aside from the overwhelming evidence that medical marijuana provides great relief for a wide variety of patients, public opinion is solidly behind allowing sick people to use it. Hopefully politicians get the message.

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Supporters of a medical marijuana law in Illinois, headed by MPP, have announced the release of radio ads calling on Illinois residents to urge their state representatives to support Senate bill 1381, which would allow doctors to recommend marijuana, also known as cannabis, to qualified patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating illnesses.

The ad – which will be broadcast in the Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities, and Rockford media markets – features Chicago resident and multiple sclerosis patient Julie Falco, who has used medical cannabis to help ease the pain and muscle spasms associated with her condition.

“I’ve tried many prescription drugs to control the extreme pain I’ve lived with every day,” Falco says in the ad. “However, most of them caused terrible side effects that left me flattened and nonfunctional. I’ve found that cannabis works best for me. It allows better control of my symptoms so I can lead a fulfilling, healthier quality of life. In Illinois, though, it’s a crime for me to use my medicine – even though my doctor recommends it. Thankfully the legislature can change that in early January.”

Falco then encourages the 68 percent of Illinois voters who support medical marijuana, according to a 2008 Mason-Dixon poll, to visit protectpatients.org and ask their state representative to support SB 1381. “People living with chronic illness should not be criminalized for following doctor’s orders,” Falco says.

To hear the ad, visit www.mpp.org/julie.

The state House of Representatives voted on SB 1381 on Nov. 30, but when neither side reached a majority, the bill’s sponsor asked for “postponed consideration,” meaning the bill could be raised again in early January before the new legislature is sworn in. Under the bill, qualified patients could obtain medical marijuana from state-licensed organizations regulated by the state health department, which would also issue medical marijuana ID cards to patients who receive a recommendation from their doctor.

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Let’s deal with the bad news up front: Bogged down in a major fight over budget and tax issues, the Illinois House of Representatives finished its spring session and left town without acting on the medical marijuana bill. Legislators generally don’t return to session until a November “veto session.”

The good news is that we made historic progress this year. The bill passed the state Senate for the first time ever, and cleared all the necessary House committees. That leaves the measure well positioned for a vote either during the veto session this fall or when they reconvene for the next full session in January.

In a statement issued earlier today, House sponsor Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said, “This bill gained more and more momentum at every stage of the legislative process, and I think the pace at which it moved is testament to the support it enjoys.”

We’d all prefer to see the process happen faster, but neither MPP, the bill’s sponsors, nor the dozens of courageous patients who’ve come forward to speak about their own personal experiences with medical marijuana have any intention of giving up.

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Last night, after years of work — and months of intense pressure by patients, advocates, and supportive legislators — the Illinois Senate passed a bill that would protect qualified Illinois medical marijuana patients from arrest for the first time ever, 30-28.

But there’s still more work to accomplish before seriously ill Illinois medical marijuana patients can safely acquire and use their medicine without fear of arrest. If you’re an Illinois resident, please help us build on the momentum from this victory and encourage your friends and family in Illinois to do so.

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We just got word that the Rhode Island Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill, 35-2, that would establish “compassion centers” to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients, making access for the seriously ill far safer and more reliable.

Just to recap, that means three huge victories for medical marijuana patients and advocates today. Earlier, the senates in New Hampshire and Minnesota both passed bills that would protect seriously ill patients from arrest for using medical marijuana with their doctor’s recommendation.

That brings all three states much closer to improving the lives of their seriously ill medical marijuana patients, but we aren’t there yet, so stay tuned.

Although a vote for a bill similar to those in Minnesota and New Hampshire by the Illinois Senate didn’t take place today, that’s not necessarily bad news. It gives the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bill Haine, more time to build support among his colleagues after amending the bill to address the concerns made by some law enforcement officials.

Meanwhile, many of those same law enforcement officials and the drug-war supporting organization Educating Voices have announced a press conference at the Statehouse tomorrow at 10 a.m. Central to argue against Haine’s bill.

I mention their press conference because I think it’s important to air all sides of this debate. I also think it helps the cause of seriously ill patients who rely on medical marijuana for people to hear the rationale behind those who would continue to make them criminals.

Oh, Illinois residents, please let your representatives know it’s time to end the cruel, senseless war against medical marijuana patients. We’re close to ending it in Illinois, but they need your help.

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