Medical Marijuana: Too Hard To Get In Illinois, Too Easy In California
Almost two years I wrote this story about medical marijuana in Illinois. The bill to make it legal had been sitting on former Governor Pat Quinn's desk, just taking up space. He signed it a few days later.
Medical marijuana became legal in Illinois on January 1, 2014. Fourteen months later, it's still unavailable for the people who need it.
The law makes everyone involved go through hoops to make this happen. Doctors need to be certified to give prescriptions. Growers and distributors still need to be selected. None of this is a good sign for the consumer.
It was obvious lawmakers didn't want this to happen. It took them years to pass this watered down bill. They were worried about losing voters. Governor Quinn let it sit on his desk for months. By doing nothing, it still would have gone into effect but without his approval. Only after numerous articles on the subject did he sign the bill. It was obvious he was worried about losing voters.
The California story is the exact opposite. It may be too easy to purchase medical marijuana in Los Angeles.
This is a map of pot shops on the west side of L.A. There are about thirty of them. Not quite one on each corner but pretty close.
I ran into a shop down on Venice Beach. A man in front was trying to drum up business by yelling "The doctor is in. No waiting."
He wasn't but I had some questions....
Howie: I'm from Illinois. Can I qualify? Marijuana Man: If you have any kind of ID, you're good. H: I have Parkinson's. Does that work? M: Yes, along with many others. H: How long is the exam? M: 10 minutes. H: Can I take it home with me? M: You can take it to any state where medical marijuana is legal. H: What's the cost of the exam? M: $40.
I knew a lot of the answers weren't true and he just wanted the 40 bucks. You do need a California ID...not that hard to get. Plus crossing state lines with this stuff is a felony.
So that's the scary part. Doing time over marijuana is like being in Texas in the 1960's. We aren't going there.
There's a lot of reputable pot shops in Southern California. A relative sent me to a place in Westwood Village....home of UCLA.
I found someone who answered all my questions plus talked to me about different types of medical marijuana, including cookies, brownies and lollipops.
On the way out I saw a sign saying there was a discount for UCLA students. Why do college students need medical marijuana?
There's the problem with the California program. Too many people are using this recreationally. Not a lot of difference from Colorado or Washington.
What's next? Since the system is already close to what legal marijuana is like, it's probable that voters will get the chance to actually make marijuana legal in California in 2016.
So what's the answer for both states?
In California, either make marijuana legal or tighten up the program. In Illinois, quit messing around and get this for the people who it can help.
Both states need to get their good shit together.
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