Should Marijuana Be Legalized in Illinois?

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Wait, what? Pot is illegal? Uh oh.

thus the irony... you can grow up in Chicago and really never quite grasp how huge the black market economy/supply chain for it is. cops by and large could care less about weed, unless you're moving it by the bale/across state lines/involve firearms.

[urza216]

I stand by everything Chi-Town Native has said in this thread...

[GT28107]

Yes. Marijuana prohibition is a sick joke, especially when alcohol is completely and utterly glorified.

[Chi-town Native]

Saw this in the Chicago Reader's letters to the editor this week:

Re: "Medical Marijuana Is Already Legal in Illinois: And it has been for three decades. But it'll take the passage of another law to make it available to patients," by Claire Thompson, April 8

The decision by the people of this country concerning legalization of the marijuana medicinal plant that has been used by humans for thousands of years is based in choosing between two opinions. The first one was articulated by the "father" of marijuana prohibition in the 1930s and the second one by Dr. Grinspoon, one of the leading contemporary experts in this country.

These are the the direct quotes from the prohibitionist Harry Anslinger pushing the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 that led to the subsequent demonizing of this quintessential medicinal plant:

[i]"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. MOD CUT: May only use two sentences from any copyright source per TOS rules.

And this is what Dr. Grinspoon said in 2006 about the cannabis sativa medicinal plant:
"Cannabis will one day be seen as a wonder drug, as was penicillin in the 1940s. Like penicillin, herbal marijuana is remarkably nontoxic, has a wide range of therapeutic applications and would be quite inexpensive if it were legal" —Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2006

These are two opinions the citizens around the country will be asked to compare and to choose from. I do not believe that the choice is an exceedingly difficult one. What I believe is that the fear tactics must be rejected once and for all, and at least medical marijuana should be legalized in all 50 States ASAP.

doctorK

[ajolotl]

The Anslinger quotes remind me of the movie Grass. I recall seeing it at the Music Box about ten years ago. Very entertaining -- highly recommended for anyone that finds this kind of history amusing.

[Chi-town Native]

whoops, sorry, didn't think that a letter to the editor would qualify, my bad.

here's good source material for more indepth history:

The strength of the wolf: the secret ... - Google Books

[HumboldtParkRican312]

Originally Posted by ImaloneJill

What was the question?

legalize weed so illinois could get big money off it by taxing it,it brings tourist (like amsterdam does) which equals more money, the state won't have to pay so much to keep non-violent offenders in jail, sell it in smoke shops packaged and labeled, and least but no least.. being able to smoke whereever you want without the fear of getting caught So lets start sending the Gov.Pat Quinn emails and letters telling him to legalize or to get prepared to lose the elections.

[Chi-town Native]

The Man Bankrolling California's Pot Initiative : NPR

In November, California voters will decide whether to make all pot legal, even for recreational use, 14 years after medical marijuana was legalized.


The measure would violate federal drug laws, but that hasn't stopped Oakland, Calif., businessman Richard Lee from spending millions to get the issue passed.

[FlyiMetro]

The Cubs fans??? Dude what do you mean?

How come the OP is not a member anymore?

[NorCal Dude]

dont
do
it
.