Is Cannabis the Best Weapon in the Opioid Epidemic?
Medical marijuana could be be an effective way to counter the opioid epidemic, and to help make the case, a Chicago lawmaker has come out publicly as a marijuana user.
A Cook County commissioner, John Fritchey, said in an interview Tuesday with Cheddar that he got his [medical marijuana card](https://cheddar.com/videos/cook-county-commissioner-john-fritchey-on-his-medical-marijuana-usage) six months ago. Though he didn't say what health issue he was being treated for, he said he wanted to be open about his use of the drug to help fight the stigma that might be associated with medical pot.
“Why would we continue, in light of the crisis that we have, to prescribe opioids for pain relief when we have something that’s so much more effective?” he said.
Fritchey has been on a years-long mission to gain legal acceptance for marijuana. In 2004, when Fritchey was a state lawmaker, he backed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. It eventually passed in 2013. He also supported decriminalizing pot in Chicago in 2011.
“Given that I got a card, I figured that I had a pulpit,” said Fritchey. “It would be hypocritical on my part to be the vocal advocate that I am but not be willing to admit that I’m a cardholder myself.”
In January, the state’s Department of Health rejected intractable pain as a qualifying condition for a marijuana card until a Cook County judge ordered the agency to accept the condition. The health department has said it will challenge the order in court.
Fritchey is also pushing for a referendum in Cook County, the second most populous county in the U.S., on whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana.
The vote is non-binding, but Fritchey told the [Chicago Tribune](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-cook-county-recreational-marijuana-20171212-story.html) the referendum would let the state legislature know where people stand on the issue.
For full article, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/barriers-facing-cannabis-legalization-in-illinois).
Bambu Ventures's Kyle Pretsch dives into Lemonaid’s $10M buyout, down from 23andMe’s $400M price tag, and what’s next after Chrome Co.’s dramatic pivot.
Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania. And now he is seeing potential signs of the cycle repeating with another transformative technology in artificial intelligence. Chambers is trying take some of the lessons he learned while riding a wave that turned Cisco into the world's most valuable company in 2000 before a crash hammered its stock price and apply them as an investor in AI startups. He recently discussed AI's promise and perils during an interview with The Associated Press.
Grove Collaborative’s CEO shares how the company is reinventing everyday goods with sustainability at the core and working toward a plastic-free future.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens shares plans for affordable housing, community-led growth, and why private and public grocery stores could be key to food equity.
Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30. The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk’s foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company’s cars and even protested at some dealerships. Sales rose to 497,099 vehicles, compared with 462,890 in the same period last year.
Tom’s Guide Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer breaks down Apple & Amazon's latest product drops—what's hot, what's hype, and what really matters for users.
