The public tide on marijuana is turning, and it’s time for our politicians go with the flow.
Two Illinois legislators introduced twin bills in the state House and Senate last month that would make Illinois the first state in the midwest and the ninth countrywide to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana. People 21 and older would be able to possess, grow and buy up to an ounce of marijuana, and businesses would be licensed to sell marijuana products under regulation.
Bill supporters estimate legalizing recreational marijuana would generate $350 million to $700 million in tax revenue, which could help ease the budget crisis that has plagued Illinois for years.
The two lawmakers who introduced the bills say they hope the legislation will generate conversation, but don’t plan to move it forward during the current session.
Days after the bills were introduced in Springfield, SIU Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute released a poll showing the majority of Illinoisans are ready for the state to legalize it. Sixty-six percent of voters polled support or strongly support legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Only 31 percent of voters said they opposed or strongly opposed legalizing it.
But all of this does not necessarily mean our state is likely to join the pot party any time soon.
In rural Illinois outside Cook and the collar counties, the Simon Institute poll found that support for legalization drops to 54 percent. Down here in Southern Illinois, our state representatives weren’t eager to jump on the wagon. Sens. Dale Fowler and Paul Schimpf both said they were undecided on the bills, with Fowler saying he would seek input from local law enforcement and state’s attorneys before making up his mind on the issue. State Rep. Terri Bryant said she does not support the recreational use of marijuana.
In a March 30 story in The Southern, Jak Tichenor, the interim director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said he expects the legislature to take a little more time to come around to match the public’s opinion on recreational pot.
“… once you get out of, say, the Chicago metropolitan area and the suburban area, there’s still a lot of very conservative attitudes about marijuana and drug use,” Tichenor said.
Despite our local lawmakers’ hesitation to support marijuana legalization, the state has begun to walk the path toward it.
Marijuana was decriminalized to a certain extent last year when Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill making possession of 10 grams or less a civil offense, punishable by a fine up to $200. Rauner had previously said “criminal prosecution of cannabis possession is also a drain on public resources.”
Decriminalization was a great first step. But we urge Illinois lawmakers — and our own downstate representatives in particular — to continue to look at all the angles when it comes to the issue.
Legalizing recreational marijuana at the state level has its challenges, especially in a somewhat uncertain political climate — Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said “I’m definitely not a fan of expanded use of marijuana,” and it remains unclear how much federal enforcement of marijuana laws will tighten under the new presidential administration.
And as with any addictive substance that could pose health risks, communities will face public health challenges, as we do already for alcohol and tobacco abuse.
But we think the good could outweigh the bad. Public tide is turning on marijuana throughout the country, and federal administrations that bring down the hammer on legal pot states will not be sustainable in a culture that accepts pot use more and more every day.
The people of Illinois want it. We need the money. Couldn’t Illinois be next?
credit:420intel.com
