Pubdate: Wed, 18 Apr 1999 Source: Daily Herald (IL) Copyright: 1999 The Daily Herald Company Contact: http://www.dailyherald.com/ Author: Jerry Elsner BAD MARIJUANA BILL A legislative proposal that aims to ban the distribution of marijuana- related information from the Internet could affect the Illinois State Crime Commission's efforts to educate parents about illegal drugs, if it is approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ryan. The measure, HB 792, would make it illegal for anyone to transmit "cannabis information" through the Internet. If the measure is approved, offenders could face up to a year in jail. A recent article on the measure reported that HB 792 has raised concerns about free speech and the practicality of enforcing the poorly worded proposal. In fact, supporters of the measure admit that HB 792 contains a number of "gray areas" that will have to be addressed by the courts. The bill's supporters also acknowledge that, if approved, the law might be misinterpreted and misapplied. I am very concerned about the "gray areas" in HB 792. I believe that HB 792 will have a "chilling" effect on those who collect and share information about illegal drugs. As you well know, the crime commission oftentimes finds itself delivering new, sometimes groundbreaking information about illegal drugs. The commission broke the story on a new wave of heroin dealers in Chicago. We sounded an early warning about crystal meth, a cheap but deadly new drug. We described how marijuana is often used as a delivery agent for heroin and D- methamphetamine. The commission now has a solid record of collecting strong "street" intelligence. Police officers, parents, educators and the media look to the commission for reliable information about illegal drugs. Such information is often ugly, but banning it from public discourse will not eliminate illegal drugs and the damage they do to our society. Let us not attack a bad situation with a bad law that is ripe for abuse. I believe we should stand by the First Amendment and urge the state Senate to reject HB 792. Jerry Elsner Executive Director Illinois State Crime Commission Lisle - --- MAP posted-by: Patrick Henry