The Illinois General Assembly will vote on the legalization of medical marijuana this month.

State Representative Lou Lang, D-Skokie, the chief sponsor of Illinois’ legalization bill, pushed the vote in the General Assembly to later this month during a session on Nov. 27 because he lacked the votes it would take to pass, according to a Wednesday Chicago Tribune article. If the bill passes through the assembly and is signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, qualified patients will be able to use medicinal marijuana in the state.

State representative Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said the legalization of medical marijuana could lead to more illegal sales of the drug on the streets of America.

“Just in the last two weeks in DeKalb, there was a 10-pound traffic stop of medical marijuana that came from Oregon,” Durkin said, according to a Nov. 26 CBS Chicago report.

Stephen Berg, an adjunct political science professor at NIU, agrees legalization should be a matter left up to the states. He believes states are different and have opposing viewpoints on certain issues like the legalization of marijuana.

“…It can be very beneficial for cancer patients going through chemotherapy.”

Some think the laws are too harsh for the people who use it medicinally.

“Smoking marijuana is bad for you,” said DeKalb resident Patricia Sheehan. “Smoking anything is bad for you, but ingesting it through food or vaporization would be much better for you.”

Sheehan said she has several friends living in states where medical marijuana is legalized and believes the law isn’t abused. She said she thinks Illinois should adopt the bill because it would alleviate crime and help people who need it.

First ward Alderman David Jacobson also believes there are several states that have passed this bill and dealt with it effectively.

“In several studies, it has been proven to be medicine,” Jacobson said. “I would be in support of it if it came down to the city level.”

Jacobson said he believes it would be a good revenue generator but if it were legalized, they would have to find ways to make sure the law isn’t abused.