Legislators who introduced a bill to legalize marijuana back in April can’t be very intelligent, unless they’re just trying to be ironic.
“Coalition for a SAFER ILLINOIS” said the idea of legalizing weed in Illinois was so people can buy from regulated dispensaries, rather than the black market. It’s an odd comment since none of the states that have legalized pot have gotten rid of black markets. In fact, the black markets seem to grow stronger with legalization, as everyone wants a piece of the pie.
SAFER ILLINOIS admits that their campaign is for the drug users. It’s very typical of the marijuana users to only consider what is best for them and not care about anyone else. Many of us would not care
about their pot use as long as it didn’t affect others. However, their use does affect us, and when their rights come first, everyone else is at risk.
Marijuana activists regularly say that marijuana is harmless and that “marijuana has never killed anyone.”
On June 29, in Minooka, a one-year-old in a car seat survived when her pregnant mother was killed by a stoned driver. Now that child must spend the rest of her life without her mother. Alexis Danley was only 27. On May 21, 2015, Aaron Dunigan rode in a car driven by a friend under the influence of marijuana and died in a horrible crash. The star football player was planning to play for Southern Illinois University.
“Medical” Marijuana, Decriminalization have Made Illinois Less Safe
A short investigation shows that many other Illinois residents have been killed by stoned drivers over the past few years. Here’s a sampling of 22 of those deaths:
Isiah McKee, 3 months, died July 25, 2015
Carter Vo, 8 years, on bike
Katelyn Jonak, 9, killed in Aurora, October, 2016
Aaron Dunigan, 18, killed on prom night, May 19, 2015
Stephanie Kostenko, 22 May 5, 2016
Alexis Danley, 27, and unborn baby, on June 29, 2017
David Lyerla, 31, July 25,2015
Javier Castrejon, 38, June 2017
Janice Wendling, 52 June 2016
More Marijuana Will Not Make us Safer
Many other people suffered crippling and/or life-threatening injuries in these same accidents. It’s quite a price to pay for another’s choice to get stoned and drive. Yes, some of the drivers were also drinking and/or using other drugs, too. If there were pot stores in Illinois, you can be certain more stoned drivers would be on the road and more drivers would mix pot with other drugs.
Some of the drivers were teens; marijuana activists cultivated their belief in the “harmlessness” stoned driving. We need to put out strong warnings against stoned driving, or getting into the car of someone who is high on pot.
No, Illinois will not be safer with more stoned drivers on the road. Safer Illinois should be ashamed of their duplicitous political posturing. And State Senator Heather Steans and State Representative Kelly Cassidy should be ashamed of taking money from these people and/or associating with them.
Illinois, let’s be SMARTER than the political hacks from Safer Illinois. The sad thing is that perhaps they aren’t even trying to be ironic. Family members of those who have died because of marijuana find their slogan “Maker Illinois Safer” insulting. 
