* Rep. Lou Lang said yesterday that he thought he had 58 votes going into the debate on his medical marijuana bill. That’s still two votes shy of the 60 required, but Lang thought he might pick up a couple of extra votes during the debate. He was wrong. When all was said and done, he ended up with just 53 votes. However, four members, all Democrats, switched from Yes to No before the roll call was closed. Watch…

Democratic Reps. Acevedo, Reitz, Thapedi and Verschoore all flipped to No at the end when they saw the bill was going down. Thapedi switched back and forth a couple of times.

[Sigh.]

* That vote was seriously disheartening for those of us who believe we need some sane drug laws in this country. The bill established a three-year pilot project. No growing by patients would be allowed. The amount of pot that people could have was reduced to two and a half ounces. A specific list of maladies that could be treated with medical marijuana was in the bill, as well as a limit on the number of dispensaries and who could operate them. You can’t get much tighter than that, although they could lower the amount of pot that patients could purchase and it wouldn’t bother me much. Even some opponents agreed with that. But the rhetoric by some opponents was just ridiculous. “A flawed piece of West Coast marijuana legislation,” said Rep. Rich Morthland. Watch…

You’d think by listening to some of these people that marijuana is some outrageously dangerous drug. When you talk to legislators, quite a few privately admit that they tried weed in college or even high school, or even since then. Yet, they seem fine now. The simple fact is that pot itself doesn’t damage nearly as many lives as being arrested for smoking it. Our last three presidents all admitted to smoking it. The republic has somehow managed to survive. Yet, it’s highly doubtful that any of them would’ve been elected if they had been busted by the cops for giving it a try. What rank hypocrisy this is.

* Sheesh…

“This is not a medicine, this is an illegal substance,” said Rep. Patricia Bellock, R-Westmont, said.

Tell that to Jim Champion…

As the bill failed, Jim Champion of Somonauk watched from his wheelchair in the House gallery. He said he was “deflated” by the vote because he has suffered from multiple sclerosis for 23 years and marijuana is the only thing he has used to control his symptoms without horrible side effects.

But because marijuana is illegal, Champion currently is on methadone, the latest in a long list of legal prescriptions. He said he could move to a state like Michigan or California, where medical marijuana is legal, but Illinois is his home and he wants to stay.

During debate, Lang pointed to Champion, a U.S. Army veteran who said he worked with Lang to craft a bill that would pass.

Champion said he often has people come up and thank him for his service, but he feels the thanks aren’t warranted because he has to break the law to use marijuana.

“I feel like a criminal. I don’t feel like an honored veteran,” Champion said. “I don’t, and my state’s doing it to me.”

More…

“At night when I sleep, my knees grind together, and I almost end up turning into a ball. I wake up in the morning and take my pills, and they do nothing,” Champion said. “I take three puffs off a cannabis cigarette, and I am able to separate my legs. I am able to basically get ready in the morning.”

* A solid editorial by the Southtown Star…

We don’t wish the pain and suffering of AIDS or cancer or multiple sclerosis on any human being.

But we wouldn’t mind one sleepless night of it for the legislators who voted “no” to legalizing medical marijuana in Illinois.

That tally came to 61 on Thursday. That’s how many members of the Illinois House of Representatives are willing to let others suffer needlessly so they can pose and posture that they’re tough on crime. […]

This is a simple matter. They are choosing to put politics above real people who need real help. […]

We are ashamed.

So am I.

* Roundup…

* Illinois House rejects 3-year pilot program for medical marijuana, despite new GOP support

* Medical Marijuana in Illinois is a No-Go, Again

* Marijuana legislation fails in Illinois House

* House rejects bill allowing use of medical marijuana in Illinois