Illinois lawmakers may be poised to enact one of the toughest medical marijuana laws in the nation after a Senate Committee moved a bill Wednesday allowing those with a limited list of illness to obtain a prescription for the drug.
The bill has passed the Illinois House and Gov. Pat Quinn has said he is open to the proposal, reported the Chicago Tribune.
The Senate Committee voted 10-5 even after law enforcement officials objected on the grounds that the bill does not include provisions for driving under the influence of marijuana, the Trib reported.
The law would allow patients to obtain 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks. Sixty pot dispensaries would be set up throughout the state.
The bill is sponsored by former State’s Attorney Bill Haine, a Democrat from Alton. He said the bill is not “an opening to legalization,” The Trib said.
Read the full Tribune report here.