Medical Marijuana: Bolingbrook Reacts to New Illinois Law

Article written by Ryan Fitzpatrick

It's official. Medical marijuana is now legal in Illinois, according to the Huffington Post.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill into law Thursday afternoon at the University of Chicago, making Illinois the 20th state to legalize medical marijuana.

A four-year pilot program comes next, and it will go into effect Jan. 1. People with serious diseases will be allowed to get a special card allowing them to buy up to two-and-a-half ounces of marijuana from their choice of 60 state-licensed dispensaries. 

Getting a medical marijuana card is no walk in the park, however. Illinois' new medical marijuana law is said to be the strictest in the country, and it requires patients have a history with their doctor prior to getting a prescription. 

Bolingbrook Patch readers took to our Facebook page to express their opinions on the new law. Here's some of what they had to say:

Brandon M.  This is about time, but not far enough. This should be happening at the federal level but it would require people losing their jobs because they no longer need to go after people growing a damn plant. Marijuana is the victim of bad politics and industrial bullying and should not be classified how it is and should be able readily available such as tobacco.

Kate K. t's about time. I dearly love someone that is suffering daily with constant and severe chronic pain.

Anna A. Much safer than questionable pharmaceuticals with deadly side effects.

Marilou P. My 12 year old daughter said it best, watching channel 7 with her grandpa on this topic, she is like I hope this ends well, but I dont think it is going to