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| | HB1076 | - 2 - | LRB098 02717 MLW 32725 b |
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1 | | effect of protecting from arrest the vast majority of seriously |
2 | | ill people who have a medical need to use cannabis. |
3 | | (d) Although federal law currently prohibits any use of |
4 | | cannabis except under very limited circumstances, Alaska, |
5 | | California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, |
6 | | Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, and |
7 | | Washington have removed state-level criminal penalties from |
8 | | the medical use and cultivation of cannabis. Illinois joins in |
9 | | this effort for the health and welfare of its citizens. |
10 | | (e) States are not required to enforce federal law or |
11 | | prosecute people for engaging in activities prohibited by |
12 | | federal law. Therefore, compliance with this Act does not put |
13 | | the State of Illinois in violation of federal law. |
14 | | (f) State law should make a distinction between the medical |
15 | | and non-medical uses of cannabis. Hence, the purpose of this |
16 | | Act is to protect patients with debilitating medical |
17 | | conditions, as well as their physicians and primary caregivers, |
18 | | from arrest and prosecution, criminal and other penalties, and |
19 | | property forfeiture if these patients engage in the medical use |
20 | | of cannabis. |
21 | | (g) The people of the State of Illinois declare that they |
22 | | enact this Act pursuant to the police power to protect the |
23 | | health of its citizens that is reserved to the State of |
24 | | Illinois and its people under the 10th Amendment to the United |
25 | | States Constitution.
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