Governor J.B. Pritzker held a signing ceremony on Tuesday which will make Illinois the 11th state in the United States to legalize some form of recreational weed use.
The law (which goes into effect on January 1 2020) will permit residents to purchase up to 30 grams (a single ounce) of weed as a dried herb, or up to 5 grams of cannabis concentrate. Possession limits are the same (an ounce). Non-Illinois residents can possess half as much.
Purchase and possession is limited to people over the age of 21 and businesses and landlords are free to refuse it on their property.
Members of Illinois’ medical marijuana program will also be permitted to grow up to 5 plants for personal use.
In 2018 Cook County (dominated by the city of Chicago) voted overwhelmingly in support of legalization in a “legal advisory question” meant to measure support for statewide legalization of recreational marijuana use. A non-binding legalization referendum didn’t make it onto the statewide ballot.
Previously, possession of less than 2.5 grams of weed was classified as a Class C Misdemeanor which was punishable by a fine.
The law also allows for the possibility of pardon for pre-legalization convictions in amounts under 30 grams, to be reviewed by the Prisoner Review Board.
Earlier this year, Denver became the first city in the nation to begin the process of legalizing Magic Mushrooms.
