Progress Illinois

With the Illinois House of Representative possibly voting on the legalization of medicinal marijuana this week, nearly 250 physicians in the state have announced their support of the legislation.

“Who wouldn’t try something illegal if they’ve run out of options,” asked Julie Falco, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 27 years ago and said in 2004 she had thoughts of suicide as a result of a “cloud of heavy medications.”

“The medications didn’t make me feel better, they made me feel worse,” she said, noting that she turned to cannabis when she saw no alternative and immediately saw an “enormous benefit.”

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Emmet Elementary School’s utilization rate is 66 percent, higher than a handful of other Austin neighborhood schools.

Even still, the Chicago Public Schools wants to close it at the end of the year, and that decision continues to puzzle some West Side community members and parents who spoke out against the action before Emmet’s final community meeting last night.

“Unfortunately we have an administration with this corporate ideology of privatizing education that uses our data to punish schools rather than use them as tools to go ahead and improve our children’s education,” said Dwayne Truss with the Austin Community Action Council. “And that’s wrong.” Read more »