North Cook News

Proponents of marijuana legalization, referendums which go before Cook County voters on March 20 and before voters statewide in November, don't generally consider the hidden costs of legalizing marijuana in Illinois, Rep. Thomas Morrison (R-Palatine) said during a recent interview.

"I think that would be a very bad idea for Illinois," Morrison North Cook News. "In terms of harm to public safety, driving under the influence, work place accidents, all those things are costs to society that the proponents usually do not factor in when they talk about potential tax revenue to the state from marijuana sales."

An advisory referendum about whether marijuana use should be legal for adults in the Illinois will be on the ballot for Cook County voters in the March 20 primary. The text of the marijuana legalization referendum question reads: "Shall the State of Illinois legalize the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products for recreational use by adults 21 and older subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance?"

The Illinois Senate recently voted to place a similar question on November's general election ballot. That measure, Senate Bill 2275, was sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) and would ask all voters in the state "Do you support the legalization of possession and use of marijuana by persons who are at least 21 years of age, subject to regulation and taxation that is similar to the regulation and taxation of tobacco and alcohol?"

Morrison's recent North Cook News interview wasn't the first time he has spoke publicly against legalization of marijuana in Illinois. During a House and Senate Appropriations Public Safety Committee, Mental Health Committee, and Health & Healthcare Disparities Committee Joint Hearing on marijuana legalization hearing in January, Morrison warned that businesses in the state might have trouble finding qualified employees after legalization.

Last fall, state lawmakers heard testimony about marijuana legalization proposals and some legislators have taken steps toward legalization, including the introduction of House Bill 2353 and Senate Bill 316.

Proponents of marijuana legalization often tout the potential tax revenue that cash-strapped Illinois could receive, but Morrison said it won't raise enough to cover the costs those proponents don't talk about. "I think there are far greater societal costs than any potential tax revenue," he said. "But even so, it's just not a good idea. The other states that have had marijuana legalized, recreational marijuana, I think there is general regret. So we ought to learn from their example."