Illinois Catholic Bishops Speak Out Against Marijuana Legalization
In a statement made by the Roman Catholic bishops of Illinois on January 28th, six bishops in the Catholic Conference of Illinois have stated that they believe out against the legalization of recreational marijuana will only worsen the state’s drug issue. Their leading statement was that cannabis is addictive and along with alcohol, is considered a “gateway drug”. Because of this, they are strongly urging Illinois lawmakers to reconsider the legalization.
The bishops in question quoted Pope Francis in 2014 of opposing any use of marijuana or other drugs. The Pope cautioned that “using one drug as a substitute for others, as marijuana has been used in place of narcotics, is to surrender to the problem,” according to The Huffington Post.
The bishops stated, “Drug use is rampant in modern society, If marijuana is legalized, it will only add to the problem.” This statement contrasts with drug-related crime statistics in Chicago from 2017. The article published by NPR For ISU explains that the number of drug arrests since 2007 have steadily declined, with 2017 having 20,000 less marijuana-related arrests than the decade prior. Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago police spokesman, explains this stating “CPD's crime reduction strategy has been focused on arresting the right people for the right reasons — namely those that disproportionality commit acts of violence in our community. Mass incarceration of nonviolent offenders who may be dependent on substances need to receive treatment, not jail time.”
Governor J.B. Pritzker made the legalization of “weed” a topic of main focus throughout his campaign across Illinois, and appears to stay true to his word. The legislation is expected to be passed this spring and take effect in 2020. Many Americans seem to be in favor of this, as 10 states across the US have already been approved to recreationally use marijuana. All legal consumers must be 21 years of age and state determined restrictions are set for the purchasing and traveling with the drug.
