Governor Rauner signed the Alternatives to Opioids Act of 2018 today. The new law is a response to the epidemic of overdose deaths from narcotics, which killed almost 2,000 people in the state in 2016 and an estimated 72,000 people nationwide last year. It would allow doctors to authorize medical marijuana for any patient who has or would qualify for a prescription for opioids like OxyContin, Percocet or Vicodin. No longer will any applicants have to be fingerprinted and undergo criminal background checks. And those who complete an online application with a doctor’s authorization will get a provisional registration to buy medical cannabis while they wait for state officials to make a final review of their request. This bill also eliminates background checks and fingerprinting for applicants and all patients may now get provisional approval to buy medical marijuana immediately upon receiving a receipt for payment from the state health department. Yes!
That's good I guess. Maybe it gives addicts a easier way out. I've always supported legalizing opiates and selling them over the counter. When you think about it, in the late 80s and 90s heroin became an epidemic because oxy was being widely abused at the time. Then they regulated oxy forcing many people to turn to heroin as a cheap alternative. Most opiate addicts use heroin because they don't have any other choices. Legalizing morphine, oxy, codeine, and vicodin is a good way to prevent heroin spread. Addiction ruins people's lives, this is bad, but we can't control other people. What we can do is control the supply and price of opiates, thus negating a large percentage of addicts from committing crimes just to get a quick fix. Heroin and delivery method seems to be the major player here. Once you progress to heroin, and start shooting up, it's pretty much all downhill from there. Believe it or not, if your a disciplined person, recreational opiate use is actually possible. Just don't make it habitual, don't shoot up, and don't use heroin. I've done it for years without a problem. Preferably use opium and grow it yourself. This way it teaches you to conserve your harvest, once you are out you're out. You don't get a lot either, about 2-10 grams of smokable product depending on how many poppies you grow, the poppy pods can also be steeped into tea. Poppies have been grown for medical and ceremonial reasons for thousands of years. It's a shame it's been turned into a evil boogeyman.