Your Take: Medical Marijuana in Illinois, Good or Bad?

Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill into law Thursday afternoon at the University of Chicago making Illinois the 20th state to legalize medical marijuana.

A four-year pilot program comes next, and it will go into effect Jan. 1. People with serious diseases will be allowed to get a special card allowing them to buy up to two-and-a-half ounces of marijuana from their choice of 60 state-licensed dispensaries. However, Illinois' new medical marijuana law is said to be the strictest in the country. 

We reached out to our area Patch readers on Facebook to ask: What do you think? Would you be comfortable with a medical-marijuana dispensary in your town? Next door? Do you foresee any good or ill effects from this?

Check out some of what readers had to say:

Dorthe Carmignani: "I'm for it! My son is growing medicinal marijuana in Colorado... making [money,] all is legal! The times they are a-changing." – Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch Facebook

Kevyn Lange: "Well, you have to look at places like California that have a track record of corruption and abuse of the system. Doctors overprescribing, homeless people getting it and selling it. Basically it's legalized dealing. Inside a year, everyone on welfare and all the illegals will figure out a way to scam the system and cause taxpayers even more money... Only in Illinois, is it easier to get illegal drugs, than a legal gun..." – Elmhurst Patch Facebook 

Allan Walker: "There is no justifiable reason for it to be illegal in the first place. I can't wait for them to open one in Downers Grove; the amount of money the town would make on sales tax alone should be a big enough incentive." – Downers Grove Patch Facebook 

Laura Faklis Thomas: "As soon as the government gets involved, the pharmaceuticals will also be involved - and God knows what they will add to this to make it as poisonous as the rest of their products." – Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch Facebook

Allan Walker: "There is no justifiable reason for it to be illegal in the first place. I can't wait for them to open one in Downers Grove; the amount of money the town would make on sales tax alone should be a big enough incentive." – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Susan Noble: "I am still out on this one" – Darien Patch Facebook

Doug Laney: "Nor do I see a problem with every corner Walgreens legally dispensing actual dangerous drugs like Oxycontin or Vicodin." – Burr Ridge Patch Facebook

Garron Wayne Bogacz: "I foresee sales at McDonald's and Taco Bell rising." – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Mirela Ursache: "Sad!" – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Kevin Connell: "Doesn't go nearly far enough... legalize it same as other legal drugs: beer, wine and cigarettes... it is totally stupid not to!" – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Dorthe Carmignani: "I'm for it! My son is growing medicinal marijuana in Colorado... making [money,] all is legal! The times they are a-changing." – Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch Facebook

Jeff Owen: "If you do not heat marijuana it doesn't produce the 'high.' It has amazing and proven healing properties. I hope it is not abused because it can be a powerful medicine if used properly." – Lemont Patch Facebook

John Ekkert: "Local pizza places and late-night snack stops rejoiced, while the remainder of the citizenry remained completely indifferent." – Lemont Patch Facebook

Kathleen Shewchuk: "It's about time… those who need it the most will still have to jump through [many] hoops to prove it." – Lemont Patch Facebook

So what's your take? Tell us in the comments!