In Chicago, a dispute between “Marijuana Moms,” a group of Illinois lawmakers who supported legalizing cannabis, and McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally, referred to as the “Dad for Mental Health,” is intensifying the debate over cannabis’ mental health effects and legalization.
The Marijuana Moms include state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, former state Sen. Toi Hutchinson and former state Sen. Heather Steans.
The feud arose shortly after Kenneally imposed a mandate on McHenry County marijuana retailers to display warnings about risks, such as psychosis and depression, linked to cannabis use. McHenry is the sixth-most populous county in Illinois. At the time, Cassidy and Steans issued a statement saying that Kenneally “carelessly conflates cannabis use with the most complex societal issues that our own Illinois researchers, institutions, and community leaders work collectively every day to further understand and improve upon.”
Kenneally’s measures also include prohibiting claims of medical benefits in cannabis dispensary marketing, part of a settlement to avoid consumer fraud litigation.
In August, Kenneally also slammed Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) for signing a law that limits judges from barring marijuana and alcohol use for those with criminal pasts. Pritzker signed the cannabis legalization bill into law in 2019.
The Marijuana Moms, wrote the Chicago Tribune, are openly refuting Kenneally’s claims, likening…