Poll: Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal in Illinois?

A house committee this past week approved House Bill 1, which, if passed, would make medical marijuana legal in Illinois.

The Illinois House and Human Services Committee approved 11-4 Wednesday a bill that could make medical marijuana legal in the state, the Associated Press reports. The bill will now move onto the full House for a vote, according to the AP.  The House has denied similar legislation in the past.  The current legislation would allow patients over 18 years old and suffering from specified illnesses and conditions to obtain marijuana, according to the Huffington Post.  There are currently 18 states—as well as Washington, D.C.— that allow medical marijuana

•  193 Comments
• Photos (1)

Drugs, Alcohol and Kids: What You Need to Know

Link Together, a coalition affiliated with OMNI Youth Services, has important messages for the community.

Candlelight Vigil Planned for Overdose Awareness Day

Organizations will hold a candlelight vigil Aug. 30 to remember those lost to drug overdose.

Drug awareness organizations Take A Stand, based in Lake Zurich, and Live4Lali, based in Barrington, are sponsoring a candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Roosevelt University in Schaumburg. International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31. The event is to remember those lost to overdose, to hear stories from those impacted, and to raise awareness about the heroin and pain pill epidemics. Community members are encouraged to attend in an effort to end the overdose epidemic by 2022. Those who have lost loved ones are encouraged to bring ribbons, photos and stories. For more information, email Kathie Kane-Willis at kkane@roosevelt.edu or call 773-865-3104.

• Photos (1)

Stevenson Hosts Symposium on Teen Drug Use

Community event is Wednesday night.

Stevenson High School will hold its annual community drug education symposium from 7-9 p.m. May 9 in the Performing Arts Center. SHS is partnering with Buffalo Grove, Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools to sponsor “Saving Our Children,” a community symposium on adolescent drug use. Admission is free. Participants will include officials from the high schools, law enforcement agencies and medical/treatment institutions. Panelists will respond to questions and concerns from the audience.

• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Updated: Police Investigate Drugs at Stevenson

Lincolnshire police are reportedly investigating a number of Stevenson High School students.

Update: 10:55 a.m. Feb. 1 Stevenson High School spokesman Jim Conrey confirmed this morning that the school is participating with Lincolnshire police in a drug trafficking investigation. "The investigation began in earnest in December," he said. He confirmed that students' text and email messages have "played a big part" in the investigation. "We believe there is plenty of credible evidence here to take a look at cell phones," he said. Conrey said the investigation includes "certainly marijuana," as well as other drugs. He would not comment on how many students are involved in the investigation, but said that estimates given by some students were exaggerated. "If more than one person was involved, it's too many," he said. "We're not going …

•  9 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

Updated: DeLuca's Pizza Owners Face Drug Charges

Maria Garza and Carmelo Rios, who own a Buffalo Grove pizzeria near Deerfield, were among six people charged with importing drugs following an investigation by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Narcotics Prosecution.

The owners of Buffalo Grove’s DeLuca’s Pizzeria were among a group of people charged in connection with a major narcotics trafficking operation, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced today (Dec. 9). Maria Garza, 37, and Carmelo Rios, 35, both of Arlington Heights, were among six people arrested and accused of importing heroin and other drugs into Cook County following a joint investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Narcotics Prosecution Bureau, Alvarez said in a press release. They face drug conspiracy charges following the joint, six-month undercover investigation. The other defendants include Victor Zaragoza, 55, of Chicago; Jorge Alberto-Gonzalez, 30, of Chicago; …

•  16 Comments
• Photos (2)

The Teenage Perspective

Saying Goodbye Too Soon

Questions and guilt arise when dealing with the unexpected death of a friend.

He had commented on my best friend’s Facebook post the night before. “I love you baby” he said. The next night the message appeared on my home screen; my friend and I had been out late and she hadn’t had the chance to check her Facebook. I clicked onto his Facebook wall to notice that a few friends had written I will miss you.     I had assumed that he was sent off to rehab. Those kind of things happen a lot around here, but in a community that strives for perfection, families and friends do their best to go on as normal.     We had not talked in quite a while, and to be honest I don’t remember why. We didn’t go to the same school, and our mutual friends were broad. But even so, I will never forget the way he challenged me, the way he …

• Photos (1)

Police Blotter: Drugs, Threatening Text Messages

These were among the reports released Jan. 19 by the Buffalo Grove Police Department.

DRUGS Justin S. Krupp, 18, of the 1100 block of Hidden Lake Drive, Buffalo Grove, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without lights at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 18 on Bernard Drive at Elmwood Drive. PHONE HARASSMENT A resident reported receiving two text messages from an unknown person threatening bodily harm between 8 a.m. Jan. 17 and 11 a.m. Jan. 18. Officers advised the resident to have the number blocked. PROPERTY DAMAGE A motorist reported striking a pothole, which caused damaged to her rear tire and rim, at 4:35 p.m. Jan. 18 on the 200 block of South Arlington Heights Road. An officer checked the roadway in the area and did not locate any unfilled …

• Photos (1)

'Parents Have to Know What's Going On'

Community symposium provides information on teens, drugs, and alcohol

More than 50 residents gathered Wednesday at Stevenson High School, where area experts addressed teen drug and alcohol use and urged parents to keep a watchful eye on their children. The community symposium, "Teens, Drugs, and Alcohol - What Every Parent Should Know," was sponsored by high school districts 125, 128, and 214. "We're here to help," said Cmdr. Steve Husak, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Buffalo Grove Police Department. "We're happy there is such collaboration with the schools." James Koch, school resource officer for Vernon Hills High School, told the audience, "Don't ever fall into the trap of thinking 'It's not my kid who uses drugs.' It could be anybody. We're talking about teens who are willing to try …

• Photos (1)