Groups urge lawmakers not to legalize recreational marijuana

CHICAGO (AP) – Several advocacy groups are urging Illinois lawmakers not to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, arguing it would, among other things, make roads more hazardous.

The Chicago Crime Commission, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and Drug-Free America Foundation say accidents caused by marijuana-impaired drivers are up in states that took the legalization route. The groups were scheduled Tuesday to make public statements opposing legalization.

They say that among the difficulties is that there’s currently no reliable test to clearly determine if drivers are marijuana-impaired.

They also contend legalization elsewhere hasn’t ended the illegal marijuana trade.

An ex-official in the Drug Czar’s Office in the George W. Bush administration, Andrea Barthwell, supports the groups’ position. She’s concerned Illinois and other states aren’t “prepared to handle the challenges” of legalization.

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