Letter: Jakobsson wrong

By Chuck Prochaska

Several weeks ago, Naomi Jakobsson, Champaign County’s representative in the Illinois House of Representatives, voted against HB407 in committee. HB407 is the Illinois Medical Cannabis Act, which would protect patients using medicinal marijuana from arrest and prison. In voting against HB407, Jakobsson prevented the bill from going to the floor of the House, where it could be openly debated. Prior to this date, myself and two other representatives from Illinois NORML met with Jakobsson to discuss her issues with the bill: One, that the bill allowed licensed growers to possess too many plants; two, that these licensed growers could grow marijuana that is too potent; and three, that legalizing marijuana sends the wrong message to children.

We explained to her why all three of these concerns were invalid reasons for voting against the bill. One, the bill only allows a grower to possess up to 12 plants per patient, barely enough to supply a patient with an adequate supply of his or her medicine (according to DEA data); two, medical marijuana is supposed to be as potent as possible so that the patient can smoke less to get the same effect, thereby saving their lungs from excess damage; three, a study done in California after their 1996 Medical Marijuana Act has proven that marijuana use among teenagers has actually decreased after the medicalization of the drug.

Another point that was brought up was the poll done by Zogby International over Feb. 18-21. This poll shows that approximately 70 percent of Champaign Country residents support medicinal use of marijuana under the guidance of a physician. By voting against HB407, Jakobsson essentially went against the wishes of a majority of her constituency. This shows that Jakobsson doesn’t really care about the concerns of her constituents. The letter she sent people who had asked her to support the bill simply restates the above concerns, even though she was provided with more than enough evidence to dispute them. I am appalled at the decision Naomi Jakobsson made on HB407, and I hope that the rest of the campus is, as well. I urge anyone who is upset about this to write to Jakobsson and express their feelings, but, most importantly, remember this when it comes time for her re-election.

Ryan Allured

sophomore in engineering

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President of UIUC NORML/SSDP