[420 Girl]

SPRINGFIELD – Chronically ill Illinois residents should be able to request a potent form of medicine: dope.

At least that’s the contention of state lawmakers pushing medical marijuana legislation.

Lawmakers are considering a law that would allow limited amounts of marijuana to be dispensed to patients with a doctor’s recommendation. Dispensaries and patients would have to register with the state’s Department of Public Health before participating in the program.

If passed, the legislation would allow marijuana to be used as treatment for long-term illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, said state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, the sponsor of the bill.

"This is a very controlled piece of legislation that allows people who need it, and only people who need it, to relieve their discomfort," he said.

State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, did not see the need for medicinal marijuana.

"I talked to some optometrists about it for the treatment of glaucoma, and there are 50 different things they can use that don’t have the aftereffects to the lungs as well," he said.

The proposed legislation revisits long-running questions on marijuana’s medicinal value and how the drug should be regulated.

Supporters cite a 1999 study by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences that found that marijuana can be used to ease symptoms of chronically ill patients.

Marijuana should still be considered a "gateway" drug, not as a medicine, according to Judy Kreamer, president of a Naperville-based drug education nonprofit, Educating Voice.

"There is no such thing as a proper dosage. When was the last time you took a medication for which there was no dosage or quality control?" she said.

Politicians and law enforcement agencies at the federal and state level are unsure of how to regulate medicinal marijuana.

Federal government prohibits any marijuana use, but 13 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, according to Bill Piper, director of national affairs for a national organization that supports legal recreational use of marijuana.

Piper says federal and state laws cannot be reconciled, as seen last month when federal agents raided locally sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries in California.

"The best way to solve the conflict is for the federal government to allow access to marijuana for medical use and give states broader authority to regulate," he said.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said last week that President Barack Obama’s administration will stop using federal resources to close medicinal marijuana dispensaries and give greater autonomy to states.

State Rep. Lisa Dugan, D-Bradley, said she would not support the measure unless more extensive regulations are added to limit who receives marijuana and how much they receive.

Lt. Scott Compton, spokesman for the Illinois State Police, said the proposed bill might cause complications with current DUI laws if passed. Illinois currently has a no-tolerance stand on driving with THC, marijuana’s active ingredient, in the bloodstream.

The proposed bill allows medical marijuana users to have THC in their bloodstream so long as it was "insufficient" to cause impairment, which could be difficult to determine without a benchmark, he said.

State Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan wants strict regulations to discourage abuse, but says he understands the appeal of medical marijuana.

"I had some family members who had to take chemotherapy. They got as sick as a dog. They didn’t smoke marijuana, but if that would have helped them, I would have certainly thought it was appropriate," he said.

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