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Alcohol not on grocery shelves quite yet TARA KULASH Daily Egyptian The Carbondale City Council passed an ordinance to allow grocery stores liquor licenses Tuesday at the City Council meeting which took place at the Carbondale Civic Center. Mayor Joel Fritzler said
it is important to note that the stores must go through the application process before they can sell alcohol. Fritzler said applicants must go before the Liquor Advisory Board to get its recommendation to approve or deny the application. Applicants must then go
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before the Carbondale Local Liquor Control Commission, he said, for a final approval or denial. Fritzler said if the local license is approved, then the store must apply to the State of Illinois for a state liquor license. Please see ALCOHOL | 2
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVE MATZKER | DAILY EGYPTIAN
The Drug Enforcement Administration recently reaffirmed its position that marijuana has no accepted medical use. In Illinois, medical marijuana remains illegal despite an effort from the Illinois General Assembly in May to begin a pilot program
for it. Chris Julian-Fralish, alcohol and other drugs coordinator at the Wellness Center, said there are usually cons along with the possible pros of medical marijuana. “Addiction does occur with it,� he said.
Future of medical marijuana hazy ELI MILEUR Daily Egyptian
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To view a time-lapse video of the July 14 Sunset Concert featuring The Kinsey Report at Shryock Steps, visit the Daily Egyptian Vimeo page at vimeo.com/dailyegyptian. Tonight’s concert will feature The Black Lillies, an Americana-folk country band. The concert starts at 7 p.m. at Turley Park. See page 6 for more.
Marijuana might have some positive uses, but like anything, there are two sides to the issue, Chris Julian-Fralish said. Some research may point to cannabis having medical value, but the drug can also lead to loss of memory and motivation, harm relationships and lead to dependency or even addiction, said Julian-Fralish, alcohol and other drugs coordinator at the Wellness Center. “Not to say there’s not uses for it,� he said. “I think the science shows there is. It’s just how deep have we gone into the science of it? We haven’t yet, and we’re still learning.� The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration ruled July 8 that marijuana has no accepted medical value and would therefore remain a Schedule I drug, which is illegal in all cases, according to a July 11 Time article. The ruling follows the Illinois House of Representatives failure in May to pass HB 30, The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. The bill would have established a system for the physicianprescribed use of marijuana by patients. According to Illinois statutes, possession of less than 2.5 grams of marijuana carries the penalty of up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine up to $1,500. For between 2.5 and 10 grams, the penalty is up to six months in jail and a $1,500 fine. Carbondale’s local ordinance on cannabis possession sets considerably lower penalties.
For possession of 10 grams or less of any substance containing cannabis, the penalty is a fine between $250 and $750 plus a $100 administrative fee. The recent DEA ruling will not affect how the law is enforced, said Robert Hanson, DEA St. Louis Division public information officer. “We enforce federal laws as they’re written,â€? he said. He said though he wouldn’t say marijuana is a lower priority, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin are the major problem drugs in the region. Julian-Fralish said there are major issues facing the effective medical use of marijuana. “When you have a prescription ‌ the dose, the strength, all of that is pretty uniform ‌ There’s none of that for medical marijuana,â€? he said. “There’s a lot that needs to be done to make it work, if it will work.â€? Julian-Fralish said though it may relieve pain, there are other ways of dealing with such issues. “People resort to the easiest things sometimes,â€? he said. “There are other ways to do it that take a little more time, a little more effort, but we’re the prescription nation, so we want a pill that fixes it. This pill comes in leaf form.â€? Ryan Hess, director of Align Healthcare, said he thinks marijuana is an effective pain reliever, based on what his patients tell him, and he would be willing to prescribe it if it were legalized. “I think they should sell it and they should tax it,â€? he said.
He said probably more than half of his patients have reported using it, and they often don’t fit the stereotype of a stoner college student but are often professional members of the community. Hess said marijuana is like any other legal herbal treatment he uses at Align. “If it comes out of the ground, it’s supposed to be there,� he said. “I would rather someone do something natural as opposed to something synthetic.� However, Hess said it has the potential to become addictive. “There’s a lot of people who are pretty crazy about it,� he said. Julian-Fralish said no one who’s been referred to the Wellness Center for marijuana use has claimed it was for medical use, though people have said it is for pain or stress. He said he thinks some people support medical marijuana just to get it legalized in a general, underhanded way. He said he isn’t sure people necessarily use it purely for medical purposes even if it appears so. “What I have to ask someone is, is it because there’s no other option, or is it because you like the high?� Julian-Fralish said. “People wouldn’t do it if it didn’t feel good.� Benjamin Nelson, an undecided freshman from Dixon, said he thinks it should be legalized for medical use and otherwise. “I just feel like the benefits outweigh the risks,� he said. He said its advantages are that it makes you feel good and can fight pain. Lindsay Sherrill, an undecided senior from DuQuoin, said if marijuana was legalized then it would probably be abused. But if it required a prescription, she said it could help as a pain reliever. Please see MARIJUANA | 2