Recreational marijuana a bad idea

I am writing to encourage fellow citizens to contact legislators regarding the bill sponsored by State Senator Steans and State Representative Cassidy advocating the legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois as reported in the Sept. 7 edition of the Daily Herald.

The bill co-sponsors contend that their proposed legislation is "in the interest of allowing law enforcement to focus on violent and property crimes, generating revenue for education and other public purposes, and individual freedom."

This legislation will not advance the public interest but rather has great potential to cause harm to Illinois residents, particularly youth.

The rush to legalize recreational use of marijuana has been driven not by evidence but rather by a desire by leaders to find a quick fix to state revenue problems and by lobbying efforts by those who would profit from the cultivation, sale, and distribution of marijuana. Illinois taxpayers will not again be duped by promises of using pot profits to fund education. We remember what happened to lottery funds.

Illinois needs leaders who make policy based on facts and evidence from science and the social sciences, learning from the experience of states that have already legalized recreational marijuana.

I encourage citizens to attend a meeting featuring Dr. Kevin Sabet, an educator who has experience studying drug policy. He will be speaking from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Marquardt Center, 1860 Glen Ellyn Road, Glendale Heights, as a featured presenter for the Glenbard School District 87 Parent Education Series.

Kim Freitag

Elgin