General Assembly Schedules First Hearing on
Proposal to Regulate Marijuana for Adult Use; Coalition of Citizens, Community
Leaders, and Organizations Mobilizes in Support of Ending Marijuana Prohibition
in Illinois
The Coalition for a Safer Illinois will
advocate for SB 316 and HB 2353, which will receive a joint hearing from the
Senate and House Appropriations committees on Wednesday, April 19, in the Bilandic
Building
CHICAGO - April 12, 2017 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Sponsors
of a proposal to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use in Illinois announced
Wednesday that lawmakers will hold the first hearing on the bill next week in
Chicago.
The Senate and House Appropriations committees will hold a joint
hearing on SB 316 and HB 2353 on Wednesday, April 19, in the Michael A.
Bilandic Building, according to Senate Committee Chairwoman Heather Steans
(D-Chicago) and Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).
"Illinois' marijuana policy is like an old car that the
General Assembly has kept on the road these past few years by adding a new part
and patching up some old ones," Steans said. "The time has come to
start discussing our options for replacing it with a newer model - something
more modern and cost-effective with improved safety features."
The lawmakers announced the details of the hearing during a news
conference in the James R. Thompson Center. The event served as the formal
launch of the Coalition for a Safer Illinois, which will mobilize support for
ending marijuana prohibition in the state and advocate for SB 316 and HB 2353.
"Marijuana prohibition poses more potential harm to
citizens and our community than marijuana itself," said Rev. Alexander Sharp
of Chicago, a spokesman for the coalition and executive director of Clergy for
a New Drug Policy (CNDP). "It is forcing marijuana into a dangerous
underground market where consumers may encounter violence, contaminated
products, and other illegal drugs. Ending prohibition and regulating marijuana
for adult use would make Illinois safer."
The Coalition for a Safer Illinois is made up of citizens,
community leaders, and local and national organizations includes CNDP, the ACLU
of Illinois, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, Law Enforcement Action
Partnership, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and the Illinois chapter of
the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). More
information about the coalition is available at https://www.SaferIllinois.org.
"Most Americans recognize that marijuana is less harmful
than alcohol, and a lot of lawmakers are just starting to come to grips with
that fact," said MPP Legislative Counsel Chris Lindsey. "Issuing
marijuana possession citations to thousands of adults is not really making
anyone safer. But what if law enforcement officials used all that time to
address serious crimes instead? It could really make a difference."
SB 316 and HB 2353 would make it legal for adults 21 and older
to possess, grow, and purchase limited amounts of marijuana. The state would
license and regulate businesses to cultivate, process, test, and sell marijuana
to adults, and it would create and enforce strict health and safety regulations,
such as testing and labeling requirements and restrictions on marketing.
"We have a great opportunity to examine how these laws are
working in other states and develop a system that will work best for
Illinois," Cassidy said. "There has been a lot of discussion about
the tax revenue and other potential economic benefits. We also need to consider
the potential public health and safety benefits of removing marijuana from the
criminal market and actually controlling production and sales."
The Coalition for a Safer Illinois is a coalition of citizens,
community leaders, and local and national organizations that support ending
marijuana prohibition in Illinois and replacing it with a system in which
marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. For more information,
visit https://www.SaferIllinois.org.
Contact
Chris Lindsey
406-540-2323, clindsey@mpp.org
406-540-2323, clindsey@mpp.org
Watch the 420
Cannabis Investor video
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