Brady opposes medical marijuana
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[May 20, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- On Friday, the
Illinois Senate debated
House Bill 1, which would legalize the use of marijuana for
qualifying chronically ill Illinois residents. According to state
Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, the controversial legislation passed
the Senate by a narrow margin of 35-21-0.
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"I have a huge amount of compassion for the people that this legislation is
intended to help, but I think we're going about it in the wrong way," said
Brady, who cited the regulatory concerns he heard during testimony by members of
the law enforcement and medical communities as contributing factors in his
decision to vote against the legislation. House Bill 1 would allow a patient
who has been issued a special registry identification card by the Department of
Public Health to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis during a 14-day period.
The measure lists a number of qualifying diseases and illnesses but does not
include general eligibility for chronic pain or nausea.
Opponents of the legislation expressed discomfort over the establishment of a
separate regulatory structure for medical marijuana. The bill sets out criteria
for medical marijuana cultivation centers and medical marijuana dispensing
organizations. The dispensing organizations would be required to register with
the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which would be allowed
to approve up to 60 dispensaries.
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"I wish we could provide some comfort to people with painful chronic
illnesses, but I don't like the precedent that we're setting by
setting up a separate regulatory structure for medical marijuana,"
said Brady. "I think this is an issue that needs to be dealt with on
the federal level instead of a piecemeal state-by-state approach."
[Text from news release sent
on behalf of
Sen. Bill Brady
by Illinois
Senate Republican staff]
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