I’m tired of people being against legalizing marijuana. If Illinois legalizes marijuana, we’ll pay less in taxes, food and gasoline. Look at how much money Colorado made. Gas there is $1.45 a gallon and cigarettes are $3.50 a pack. They can pay their bills. Illinois has no money, so it keeps taxing people. Many seniors think marijuana’s harmful. Cannabidiol helps with arthritis and other medical conditions. Marijuana’s not like how it was in the 1960s and 1970s. I am age 62. I know from experience. Medical marijuana will help Illinois. I live on Social Security. I can’t afford to leave the state I was born in. Please change your opinions. Urge your government to vote to legalize marijuana.

Maryellen, Chicago Ridge

I see the Democrats came up with the idea in Cook County that if they legalize marijuana that they’re going to expunge all the convictions that people have had prior to the law becoming effective. What are they going to do when somebody’s high on marijuana when they get in a car accident? Are you going to forgive that too? I like what somebody said in Speak Out the other day: “Don’t smoke and drive.” Just like signs saying, “Don’t drink and drive,” they ought to put “Don’t smoke and drive” on a sign.

Dave, Beecher

The government shutdown became the longest one in history. Some of the government workers were having a hard time. Some of them had reportedly sold their cars to pay rent or to pay their mortgages. It was really heartbreaking to hear a lady state that she was using less of her insulin medication. I know some people didn’t care one way or another because of the difference in benefits they receive compared to the public sector. These federal employees were not to blame. If you want to blame someone, blame the ones who are giving them their benefits.

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