While the possession of marijuana is a criminal offense throughout much of the United States, its use is widespread, and support for marijuana legalization is growing. Currently, the recreational use of marijuana is legal in eight states and the District of Columbia, and 64% of Americans support legalization. As several other states consider ballot referendums or legislation to legalize marijuana, Illinois residents are wondering if our state may be the next in line to make this change.

Current Illinois Marijuana Laws

In 2016, Illinois passed a law decriminalizing the possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana. While possession of marijuana is still considered illegal, anyone caught in possession of less than 10 grams will not be charged with a criminal offense; instead, they will face a civil fine of $100 to $200. Possession of more than 10 grams is a criminal offense ranging from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 1 felony, depending on the amount of marijuana.

The abuse of heroin and opioids has become a major health crisis in the Chicago area; more than 1,000 people died of drug overdoses in Cook County in 2016, which was a significant increase over the 693 drug overdose deaths in 2015. Law enforcement officials are working to combat this epidemic, and some advocates have encouraged them to charge drug dealers with drug-induced homicide in addition to standard drug charges.

Drug-Induced Homicide in Illinois

In Illinois, a person can be charged with drug-induced homicide if they provided illegal drugs to someone and the use of those drugs resulted in that person’s death. Drug-induced homicide is a Class X felony, and it is punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison.

Prescription opioid abuse is now a full-blown epidemic in the United States. Between 1999 and 2015, an estimated 183,000 people died from opioid overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,000 people per day are treated in emergency rooms for misuse of opioids. Drug overdoses now cause more deaths annually than automobile crashes, and opioids are the leading cause of overdoses by a wide margin.

Many individuals who become addicted to opioid-based medication begin taking the medicine for a legitimate reason and have a doctor’s prescription. After the bottle of pills—often hydrocodone, oxycodone or meperidine—is empty, however, individuals look to illegal sources. Many turn to heroin, fentanyl, and other street products with potentially devastating effects. A new study suggests, however, that starting down the path of opioids is not the preferred solution for most patients in need of pain medication

What Patients Want

In a recent memo, Unites States Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered federal prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense” when it comes to prosecuting drug crimes. This is a complete reversal of the direction drug crimes prosecution was going under the previous administration.

A Departure From Recent Years

Under the Obama administration, then-Attorney General Eric Holder ordered prosecutors to change the way they handled non-violent cases, including those involving drug charges, directing them to allow lower-level agencies—such as local and state prosecutors—to handle these types of cases. Over the past several years, as the drug epidemic has spread throughout the country, there has been more focus placed on criminal justice reform, particularly figuring out ways to get those facing drug charges the help and rehabilitation they need instead of just throwing them into prison. The Justice Department under the Trump administration, however, appears to be rolling back those reforms and instead, going back to harsher penalties and implementing mandatory minimum sentences. 

If you were to lose your wallet, it would be fairly reasonable for you to get on social media and to ask for help in locating it. Similarly, if you found a healthy-looking, friendly dog wandering in your neighborhood, you may take to Facebook in an attempt to locate the dog’s owner. But, what if you found some type of illegal drug? While you would probably not jump on social media in such a situation, a local police department in Pennsylvania recently did just that.

A Deadly Drug Problem

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, is a smallish city of about 40,000 people in Eastern Pennsylvania, situated in Luzerne County with a population of about 318,000. In 2016, however, Luzerne County experienced at least 137 fatal drug overdoses, with victims ranging from all walks of life. Amidst the drug-related struggles facing the area’s residents, local law enforcement officials are looking for ways to combat the deadly issue. The dark cloud over the region could also explain the rather sarcastic—almost bitter—sense of humor shown by the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department last week.