We still have to do trailer bills to improve this one over the four years. But we'll come testify for your state!

Hey, maybe they joy and legality will leak over into Indiana. Maybe?????

Jim's speech was right on...they both worked their behinds off to help get this passed.
For once I saw Illinois lawmakers work for their constituents. Yay!!

Here in WA (MMJ legalized in 1998) we are fighting the battle of our lives against the recent "legalization" (I-502) of recreational marijuana. The issues are over taxes, possession limits (much lower than mmj limits), who can and can not grow, etc. When you hear that WA State has legalized marijuana, don't buy it for a minute! We just voted a few years ago to privatize liquor sales (now available 24/7 everywhere!) but the Liquor Control Board has sway over marijuana?!!! WA is trying to act like it is legal, but they don't seem to know what they are doing. I am supporting the medical community battle to keep our meds as a separate issue.

First they think MMJ is getting an unfair advantage because it is not subject to the exorbitant taxes they hope to slap on recreational users. Medicine would be priced way out of most mmj patients' reach if they have their way.

Next, they want to shut down our medical dispensaries/cooperatives and make medical patients buy form the state licensed dealers. Hello! Marijuana is still banned Federally . . . this won't last! And I do not want to stand in line with a bunch of stoners to buy my medicine.

And they want to control who grows, meaning many medical growers will be unable to continue under the fees and taxes. Patients will suffer. They also want to control the THC content.

So if your state legalizes medical marijuana, get to know how that law works and protect it with your life! Also, heads up . . . . your state may deemed you DUI if you use medical marijuana, even if it is not every day. Be smart . . . be aware . . . do your research.



And congrats to Illinois for entering the 21st Century! Yay!

I celebrate all that has been accomplished and encourage everyone to keep up this much needed drive. Hopefully the individual states will eventually come to some sort of agreement with the federal government so that easy access throughout the USA is attained. It is long overdue.

Although a high percentage of medical users in Canada still grow their own or purchase it directly from local growers or on the street, here’s how MMJ is set up to access it legally in Canada.

For those with MS and a number of other conditions (scroll down to check out the list: http://www.cannabisdispensary.ca/about/), all that is needed to get on the registry so that one can access it is to have a confirmation of the MS diagnosis, faxed from the office of the patient’s MD, Naturopath or Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor (TCM) to the dispensary.

Once registered, patients can pick it up in person from a number of dispensaries throughout the country or can access it by mail order with delivery to anywhere in Canada.

Here's the site of one of the dispensaries:
Welcome! | The Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary
http://www.cannabisdispensary.ca/

There is a push to get production out of the hands of private growers into the hands of corporate interests…but that hasn’t happened and it isn’t likely to because the price of the product keeps dropping due to an over abundant supply from the licenced private growers, who in turn continue to sell it on the street.

Medical marijuana lets B.C. growers earn thousands on streets - British Columbia - CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...arijuana-.html

The bureaucrats have basically legislated it to such a degree for potential large commercial producers to set up operations that the profit margin would be too low to make it a viable investment for them .

With love, Erika

Erika, the amount of cannabis each patient is allowed under Illinois' law is 2 oz every 2 weeks, which seems a lot but many patients bake with it or make butter; one needs a larger amount than if one inhales it, I've been told.

Some who opposed the bill felt that 2 oz was way too much, and that we as patients would sell off what we don't use...fat chance of that happening.

I have heard grumbles that the cultivators won't be able to keep up with demand, considering how many ill customers will probably sign up for the program.

You state that growers up your way have an overproduction...hmm. An interesting bit of info I need to tuck into my hat when this program pushes on to implementation.

I do fear that corporations will get into the act and make inferior products. We'll see...if there's a profit to be made, there's always shady ways to make the most, I guess...

Thanks for your input-all info is helpful!1

I don't know of such restrictions on the amount of MMJ that a person can purchase or be in possesion of here. In Canada, it seems that the limit is set by what ever the patient's prescription stipulates and if none is stipulated, it seems to be up to the patient and the dispensary to arrive at an amount.

For example, a B.C. resident has received a Health Canada licence to possess 60 grams of marijuana for daily medical use, allowing him to legally grow as many as 292 marijuana plants. He doesn't smoke it, but makes medicinal products from it.

http://www.canadianmedicinalmarijuana.com/?p=226


More info on medical marijuanna in Canada:

The Canadian Federal Gov't will implement a program in the spring of 2014 that restricts such grow ops to commercial enterprises. Word is that the current legal operators will be able to obtain that designation fairly easily via permits and licensing.
The reason for the change? The feds want their share and will try to get it through inspection fees, licensing and taxation. It is unlikely to affect the price as more growers will likely climb on board under the new program and that will further saturate the market.

The following recent news article highlights a community that is a suburb of Vancouver, B.C. (West coast), with a population of around 100,000. Like many such suburban communities, it has around 600 legal medical marijuanna grow ops (and probably an equal number of illegal ones).

Complaints about medical marijuana grow ops:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/BC/ID/2401933471/

After it is all said and done, there is apparently so much marijuanna growing (both licenced and unlicenced) going on that the emphasis in enforcement of regulations and subsequent prosecutions has mostly shifted to illegal street marketers.
Even then, convictions usually result in minimal sentences (if any) and a fine; which is essentially seen as the cost of doing business. Hardly a deterent.

The police tend to not get involved with anyone who has a licence to grow, transport or possess because the Crown Prosecutors (your equivelent to the DA), balk at bringing such cases into the court system unless a very large, blatant offence has taken place. In those cases, basically the grower looses their licence to grow, may face a bit of jail time and the usually imposed fine.

So how available is marijuanna here? I live in a small rural town with a population of around 24,000. A short stop into any coffee shop, will get me into contact with a supplier in minutes and the stuff in my hand a few minutes after that...all under the nose and observation of the police, who would likely also be in the coffee shop. They truly aren't interested in small amounts exchanging hands and prefer to go after the bigger fish...which they do.

Our community's most recent drug bust in July netted over 500 plants from a sophisticated under the ground grow op, cash, guns and stolen property. That was over a month ago and those charged with various related offences were released with a promise to appear in court some time in October.
It's all a gaff .

With love, Erika

I did read a little about the WA "legal" pot. The fact one can't grow on their own is dumb. Here in CA one can grow a couple plants without a MMJ card and still be legal (like in Berkeley). Most cities limit it at 6 mature plants, some many more. I have a couple plants out in my garden right now (although they're just clones so they won't get big at all). How can it be legal to smoke it, but still illegal to grow or buy it?

2 oz is a lot, but if somebody was in a ton of pain, I could see it. I go through 1/4 oz a week, at least, and that's with me working full time (I don't smoke before or during work). We also have really good stuff out here in CA, so if it was of lesser quality, I'd have to use more. I don't know how much is needed to make butter, we always get it pre-made.

Oh, and the cost! The clubs are still about twice as much as what I can get from my "guy". I can see why WA is having an issue with taxes and whatnot. I can't wait for them to figure this out. Make it cheaper for everybody. Make it the same cost as a prescription!!!

Oh, for heaven's sake! One ginat step nowhere...
Looks like you folks still have a long ways to go .
Seriously hoping that this sort of ignorance will be overcome quickly. Keep up the fight...it took a while for us to get what we got up here too...and we're still pressing for more ease to access.

No change in marijuana laws coming, White House says http://<br /> <br /> http://politi...te-house-says/

With love, Erika

What do you expect from our neanderthal, House of Reps.