State of Illinois Archives: on Drugs

Mark Curran: Training and Narcan will help responders deal with overdoses

Mark Curran: Training and Narcan will help responders deal with overdoses

J.B. Pritzker: Legal cannabis creates jobs, businesses, new tax revenue

Mark Curran: Key to solving opioid epidemic is border security

J.B. Pritzker: Legal marijuana will raise revenue & create jobs

Bruce Rauner: Decriminalize marijuana; but no to legalization

Pritzker: Legalize.

Rauner: No to legalization. Signed bill to decriminalize small amounts.

Anne Stava-Murray: End marijuana probation; allow regulation and taxation

Anne Stava-Murray: Legalize recreational marijuana & include safety provisions

A: Yes. We would need to ensure that legalization includes provisions for public safety, which would include impaired driving. "Breathalyzers" for marijuana aren't necessary--probable cause for pulling over could be similar for alcohol impairment or texting and driving, including dangerous behaviors like multiple lane departures. Field sobriety tests could set the standard for impaired consciousness that could result from other substances as well

Ameya Pawar: Focus on rehabilitation, not punishment

Ameya Pawar: End the war on drugs

Chris Kennedy: Legalization based on science, not tax impact

Daniel Biss: Legalize marijuana

Chris Kennedy: Don't count on marijuana getting legalized

Chris Kennedy was asked by a student: if it was legalized, what would his plan be for using the tax money? "I think you have high hopes," Kennedy quipped to laughter and applause, and then said, "I don't know whether it'll get legalized, I don't know if it'll get taxed. I mean, I think betting our future that all of that occurs and that somehow that's gonna cure our budget problem. I think we need thoughtful, real, concrete [policy plans] that operate without relying on something that has, you know, tenuous, possibilities. Sorry. I'll tell you the truth." The students were dead silent when he finished, so Kennedy decided to take one more question because, he said, "I can't go out on that one."

J.B. Pritzker: Legalize and tax marijuana

Chris Kennedy was asked by a student: if it was legalized, what would his plan be for using the tax money? "I think you have high hopes," Kennedy quipped to laughter and applause, and then said, "I don't know whether it'll get legalized, I don't know if it'll get taxed. I mean, I think betting our future that all of that occurs and that somehow that's gonna cure our budget problem. I think we need thoughtful, real, concrete [policy plans] that operate without relying on something that has, you know, tenuous, possibilities. Sorry. I'll tell you the truth." The students were dead silent when he finished, so Kennedy decided to take one more question because, he said, "I can't go out on that one."

Raja Krishnamoorthi: Opioid abuse blights our nation; more funds to fight it

Raja recognizes that opioid abuse is a national crisis that requires swift action. There are two significant holes in the most recent federal legislation that threaten its usefulness:

• Funding: The Obama Administration requested $1.1 billion for opioid treatment and prevention programs [which did not get funded]: to help law enforcement and expand treatment programs.
• Record Keeping: The July 2016 bill also failed to provide for a national record-keeping system that would prevent "doctor-shopping."
• Raja has proposed establishing the National Opioid Safety Fund and Database. This legislation would secure a stable funding source and create a national Prescription Drug Monitoring Program by turning the existing state-by-state efforts into an interactive, nationwide network. Source: 2016 Illinois House campaign website RajaForCongress.com Nov 8, 2016

  Mark Kirk: Decriminalize and/or legalize marijuana

  Q: On Marijuana: Decriminalize and/or legalize marijuana?

  Duckworth: Yes

  Kirk: No, including for medical marijuana.

  Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Illinois Senate race Oct 9, 2016

  Mark Kirk: No need to increase veterans' access to medical marijuana

  Incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk (R) has consistently voted against marijuana law reform measures in the Appropriations Committee and on at least two occasions has spoken out against amendments to increase military veterans' access to medical marijuana. "We do not have too few veterans who are high right now," he said before one vote. "I don't see that as a problem in our country."

  Democratic challenger Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, on the other hand, has voted in favor of House amendments to protect state medical cannabis laws from federal interference and for an amendment to stop the Department of Justice from interfering with any state marijuana law, including those covering recreational use.

  Source: Marijuana.com on 2016 Illinois Senate race Jun 13, 2016

  Tammy Duckworth: Protect state marijuana laws from federal interference

  Incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk (R) has consistently voted against marijuana law reform measures in the Appropriations Committee and on at least two occasions has spoken out against amendments to increase military veterans' access to medical marijuana. "We do not have too few veterans who are high right now," he said before one vote. "I don't see that as a problem in our country."

  Democratic challenger Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, on the other hand, has voted in favor of House amendments to protect state medical cannabis laws from federal interference and for an amendment to stop the Department of Justice from interfering with any state marijuana law, including those covering recreational use.

  Source: Marijuana.com on 2016 Illinois Senate race Jun 13, 2016

  Napoleon Harris: Add PTSD to allowed compassionate use of marijuana

  Senator Harris co-sponsored legislation SB33: Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. Adds "post-traumatic stress disorder" to the definition of "debilitating medical conditions" Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2015-2016 Illinois voting record Nov 4, 2015

  Napoleon Harris: Make marijuana possession a civil violation

  HB 218 Classifies Marijuana Possession as a Civil Violation: Bill Passed Senate (37 - 19) Napoleon Harris voted Yea.
  Vote to pass a bill that classifies possession of 15 grams or less of cannabis as a civil law violation. Highlights:
  • Classifies the possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana as a civil law violation punishable by a fine between $55 and $125
  • Classifies the possession of more than 15 grams of marijuana as a misdemeanor, and more than 100 grams as a class 4 felony.
  • Requires a law enforcement agency and the clerk of the circuit court to expunge the records of an individual convicted of possession of up 15 grams of a substance containing marijuana, beginning 180 days after the enactment of the bill.
  Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2014 Illinois voting records May 21, 2014

  Doug Truax: Medical marijuana is a state issue

  Republican contenders for Senate say they would not vote to legalize medical marijuana at the federal level, though one of them voted in favor of such a measure in Illinois. Despite his support of legalizing medical marijuana in Illinois, state Sen. Jim Oberweis said the issue should not be addressed at the federal level. "The federal government needs to let the states individually decide how to handle the issue of medicinal marijuana," the Sugar Grove Republican said in a prepared statement.

  His Republican primary election opponent, Doug Truax of Oak Brook, has a similar view on the issue, according to a campaign spokesman, who said, "His position is that it is a state issue, not a federal one." If legalizing recreational use of marijuana came up at the national level, the spokesman said Truax again would argue to leave it up to the states.

  Source: Daily Herald on 2014 Illinois GOP Senate primary debate Feb 21, 2014

  Jim Oberweis: Who am I to say patients shouldn't use medical marijuana?

  Despite his support of legalizing medical marijuana in Illinois, state Sen. Jim Oberweis said the issue should not be addressed at the federal level. "The federal government needs to let the states individually decide how to handle the issue of medicinal marijuana," the Republican said.

  Illinois legalized medical marijuana last summer. Oberweis voted for it and after it passed the state Senate he said, "The bottom line is: Who am I to say that they shouldn't be allowed to use that if in fact that will help them?"

  But if it came up at the federal level, Oberweis would argue it wouldn't be Congress' place to legalize it. In a prepared statement, he said, "The federal government needs to let the states make decisions for themselves, the same way states get to set their own speed limits and handle their own economic policies."

  Twenty states have legalized medical marijuana and two states, Washington and Colorado, have legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

  Source: Daily Herald on 2014 Illinois GOP Senate primary debate Feb 21, 2014

  Jim Oberweis: Let doctoral psychologists prescribe controlled substances

  Oberweis voted Yea on SB 2187, "Authorizing Doctoral Level Psychologists to Prescribe Controlled Substances". Bill Passed Senate 37-10. OnTheIssues Synopsis:
  • The Clinical Psychologists Licensing Board shall grant certification as prescribing psychologists to doctoral level psychologists.
  • The Board shall develop and implement procedures and criteria for reviewing educational and training credentials for the certification process and the extent of prescriptive authority.
  • Prescribing psychologist certification requirements: completion of a doctoral program in psychology; or graduation with a master's degree in clinical psychopharmacology, including instruction in anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology; and having successfully completed a supervised clinical experience including clinical assessment and pathophysiology, plus a supervised practicum of at least 400 hours treating no fewer than 100 patients with mental disorders.
  Source: OnTheIssues synopsis of Illinois legislative voting records Apr 25, 2013

  Mark Kirk: Crack down on drug cartels trafficking of illegal weapons

  Congressman Kirk joined with law enforcement officials to unveil H.R. 1448, the Border Reinforcement and Violence Reduction Act. This legislation targets heroin overdoses in the suburbs by providing additional resources to crack down on the trafficking of illegal weapons, reducing the power of these drug cartels and limiting their ability to bring heroin into the U.S.

  The DEA has shown that violent Mexican drug cartels are bringing in high-purity heroin to communities throughout the country. These cartels are operating in more than 195 American cities, with three in the Chicago area. These cartels wage war on each other for territory, fueled by weapons illegally trafficked from the United States. Already these conflicts are moving to our country, with extreme acts of violence -- including beheadings. We cannot stop the flow of illegal drugs without targeting the high-powered weapons that flow south to Mexico. [Source: kirk.house.gov/index.php ]

  Source: Vote-IL.org profile for 2016 Illinois Senate race Nov 22, 2010

  Richard Durbin: The plague of methamphetamine abuse is growing

  The plague of methamphetamine abuse is growing in Illinois and across the nation, posing serious challenges for law enforcement agencies and first responders in rural areas. Meth is tearing apart our families and overwhelming our child welfare network. As a member of the Senates Anti-Meth Caucus, I strongly support programs to provide these regions with the resources they need to keep their communities safe.

  In partnership with the Illinois Sheriffs Association, I secured federal funding for an ad campaign to promote awareness and prevention of methamphetamine abuse in southern and central Illinois. I continue to support efforts to make it more difficult for meth "cooks" to obtain the chemicals needed to make meth and have introduced legislation that will make it easier to track purchases of meth ingredients. I have also offered legislation to provide comprehensive family-based substance abuse treatment for pregnant and parenting women suffering from meth addiction.

  Source: Vote-USA.org on 2020 Illinois Senate race Apr 3, 2008

  Mike Bost: Strengthen drug-related penalties, but consider alternatives

  Bost indicates support of the following principles to address crime.
  • Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
  • Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
  • Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
  • Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
  • Support .08 blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
  Source: 2000 Illinois National Political Awareness Test Nov 1, 2000

  Rodney Davis: Strengthen penalties associated with drug-related crimes

  Davis indicates support for the following principles to address crime in Illinois.
  • Strengthen penalties and sentences associated with drug-related crimes.
  • Continue to enforce "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve their full sentences without parole.
  • Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
  • Expand and promote "community policing" programs.
  • Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
  • Implement "enterprise zones" in high crime communities to promote job-creating industries in those areas.
  • Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious, violent crimes as adults.
  • Provide state funding for military-style "boot-camps" for first-time juvenile felons.
  • Impose mandatory curfews for minors in high crime areas.
  Source: Illinois State 1996 National Political Awareness Test Nov 1, 1996

  The above quotations are from State of Illinois Politicians: Archives. Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs. Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  2020 Presidential contenders on Drugs:
  	Democrats running for President: Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO) V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE) Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC) Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT) Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ) Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX) Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI) Rep.John Delaney (D-MD) Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA) Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT) CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA) Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Marianne Williamson (D-CA) CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY) 2020 Third Party Candidates: Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI) CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV) Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI) Howie Hawkins (G-NY) Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM) Howard Schultz(I-WA) Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)	Republicans running for President: Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX) Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD) Gov.John Kasich(R-OH) V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN) Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC) Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY) Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL) Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY) 2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates: Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA) Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC) Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK) Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA) Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO) Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA) Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL) Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA) Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX) Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA) Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA) Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
  Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

  
  Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021