SPRINGFIELD (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin wants to pump the brakes on the “Pineapple Express.”
The Illinois expressed some reservations Monday about legalizing recreational marijuana, a major goal of new Gov. J.B. Pritzker, for revenue purposes.
“We have to start with the premise that because of the conflict between state and federal laws, we have not tested marijuana - THC - in a way that we test drugs that are used commonly to make sure they are safe and effective,” Durbin said. “What’s missing here is the usual course of clinical trials that really give us an assurance that if it is used for this purpose, it will have that impact.”
Durbin pointed to an article in The New Yorker that suggests recreational pot has an impact on traffic safety and mental health.
The sponsors of a recreational marijuana legalization bill say they hope for a vote by the Legislature’s May 31 adjournment.