Click here to contact your reps in support of this legislation. From NORML: House Bill 2332 will allow counties to amend local laws to reduce the penalties for minor marijuana possession offenses to a fine only misdemeanor. You can read the full text of this proposal here. House Bill 2332 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has been scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, March 13 at 8:30am in Room C-1 of the Stratton Building. Illinois NORML will hold a lobby day on Thursday, March 14 in support of Illinois' pending marijuana law reform measures. Learn how you can participate by clicking here. Under present law, the possession of less than 2.5 grams of marijuana is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a jail term of up to 30 days. The possession of between 2.5 - 10 grams of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months imprisonment.
I've already did all of this, hopefully they will be influenced by our punitive opinions! Eventually though, if we compile enough demand for this, they will notice; we need people to stop wishing for legislation change and start doing doing something about it, even something as little as this. Our laws apparently will be the strictest in the nation. I guess I am going to have to pull a randy from south park...
Lol have fun bouncing around on your nuts dude. Seriously though, you're right. I just got back from an IL NORML meeting and, while it was fun and informative, there were only 5 people there. Illinois gotta make some noise if we're going to end prohibition.
They added a second amendment to the bill today...and I really like it The 1st amendment made the bill weaker statewide, by lowering the amount you can possess with no penalty (petty offence pay $100) to 1/10 of a gram - down from 2.5 grams However, the 2nd amendment now gives each county board the power to declare that in their county -- that possession of up to 15 grams is a petty offence, punishable by whatever fine they (the county board) see fit This 2nd amendment was referred to the Rules committee first and has already been passed out of the Rules committee into the Judiciary Committee so in Illinois, if this bill passes, the battle will become very, very local
I was tweeting with @Illinois_NORML and they said they're pushing for 30g. It could just be that I'm a casual smoker, but that sounds like a lot! I hope they don't push too hard and make the bill unpassable.
I'm with you on that...15 grams (or 1/2 oz ) is enough to push for at first, just look at the first amendment they put on this bill What most people don't understand, is that once you get out of the Chicago area, Illinois is as conservative/tea party as any state out there. When is the next Illinois NORML meeting?
Chicago meetings are the first Wednesday of the month from 7-9 at MultiKulti 1000 N. Milwaukee 4th floor. That was one of the things I tried to stress when I was there on Monday. I grew up down in the Carbondale area and it's basically a different state. Shit, around Dekalb where I live now most people are uptight WASPs. One thing they should definitely do is change their Chicago flag, with pot leafs instead of stars, logo. Just get Honest Abe with a doob and something about how he never told a lie, so legalize and you've just included the rest of the state.
I'm going to try to make next month's meeting South of I-80 or west of Rte 31, you might as well be in Missouri......
That all depends on which cop stops you..... up to 10 grams....might only get you a ticket of $250 or depending on the cop -a night in jail and the book being thrown at you Sorry I can't be more specific.....
Oh, and if you do get caught in Chicago -- be on your very best, respectful behavior--yes sir, no sir, etc..... You DO NOT want to give a Chicago cop ANY reason to bust you upside the head....because they will, and they will enjoy it.....
Update bitches!!!! Earlier today the Judiciary Committee passed HB2332 by a vote of 9-5. It now sits along side HB1(Medical Marijuana) and HB2668(Industrial Hemp) waiting for a full house vote! This is the crucial time for people to be in contact with their representatives voicing their support for these laws. You can find out who your reps are here(there's a mobile and desktop version). All you do is enter your street address and look for your state representative. Their contact info should pop up as well. Simply write an email or call and tell them that you're a constituent who supports this legislation. It's easy as T-H-C!
OK - so I looked up the Judiciary committee - 16 members - 10 Dem - 6 GOP, so I'm betting that this was a straight party vote..... So like MOS said get off the couch....
Here you go...another newspaper supporting us Our Opinion: Why stop with legalizing medical marijuana? - The Dome - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
Here's an article about decriminalization in Portugal. Obviously there are some major differences between the proposed legislation in IL and what they've done over there, but I think it's evidence that this is a solid policy that we should adopt here. Evaluating Drug Decriminalization in Portugal 12 Years Later - SPIEGEL ONLINE
This is a letter I wrote to my representative in support of HB2332. Dear Representative Demmer, I'm writing you today to ask that you support HB2332. HB2332 is a noncompulsory law that would give Illinois counties the option to treat possession of small amounts of cannabis as a petty offense, rather than a misdemeanor. Criminalizing cannabis use is expensive to the taxpayer, and is an ineffective approach to the problem of substance abuse. HB2332 would retain judge’s power to refer people to treatment, while reducing court costs. At the same time, it would generate revenue through fines. In addition to the primary costs of the criminal justice system, criminalizing cannabis use has hidden costs. It prevents offenders from gaining employment and disqualifies them from receiving federal student aid. I experienced this firsthand when I was arrested for possession of cannabis as a high school student. One act of youthful indiscretion prevented me from gaining meaningful employment for over six years. Some people may think that I got what I deserved, and that my example will deter others from using cannabis, but those people are mistaken. According to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the prevalence of cannabis use among young adults has remained between 17-19% throughout the last decade, and has been increasing over the last five years. Also, when looking at current drug use by age (keeping in mind that cannabis accounts for over 80% of all illicit drug use), the group with the highest rates of drug use are people between the ages of 18 and 25. These are young people who need guidance, not hardened criminals who need to be punished. Please take these thoughts into consideration and support a policy that makes sense both fiscally and socially. Let’s stop wasting resources criminalizing a health problem, and start setting our young people down the path to brighter futures. Sincerely, James Hammans 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Results from the 2011 NSDUH: Summary of National Findings, SAMHSA, CBHSQ