To date, 11 states, including Illinois, have legalized recreational marijuana, a majority through ballot measures placed before voters.
Marijuana plants ready for harvest at a medical marijuana cultivation center in Albion, Ill.
To date, 11 states, including Illinois, have decided to legalize recreational marijuana, a majority through ballot measures placed before voters. The move by Illinois lawmakers is only the second time a legislature has legalized marijuana,, which passed a measure last year allowing possession and limited cultivation of cannabis.
“This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance,” said Pritzker, who plans to sign the bill soon. The measure, which passed the Democratic-controlled Legislature, received staunch opposition from local police and sheriffs associations.
At its core, the Illinois bill followed a nationwide trend tying marijuana legalization to criminal justice reform. The measure would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 30 grams, or about an ounce. Those who had previously been convicted of possessing less than that amount would have their records automatically expunged. In addition, the measure creates a social equity program to help minority business owners enter the legal marijuana industry with state grants and loans.
Similar measures in New York and Pennsylvania have also stalled. Each of those pieces of legislation have seen pushback from law enforcement groups. The stalled efforts come even as national polls show bipartisan support for legal marijuana. Last fall, a Gallup poll found 66% of respondents supported the legalization of recreational use of marijuana in the U.S. A majority of Republicans surveyed — 53% — favored legalization. The October poll also showed that 71% of independents supported legalization, as did 75% of Democrats. Other surveys have shown similar results.
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