Illinois’ medical marijuana program is getting a second wind. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a pair of bills on Monday expanding who can get a medical card, and when they can use it. The program was initially limited to just six years, but is now permanent. When the law was first signed in 2013, state lawmakers made […]
illinois marijuana
Illinois marijuana growers who get first shot at the recreational market contributed heavily to politicians who cemented their advantage
Marijuana cultivating companies that persuaded Illinois lawmakers to give them first access to recreational customers pushed for the lucrative advantage with the backing of a steady flow of campaign cash, the Tribune has found. The firms grow medical cannabis now, but are allowed to produce the first batches of recreational marijuana in preparation for the […]
Illinois universities exploring programs on growing, marketing marijuana
Some community colleges and four-year universities in Illinois are exploring the possibility of launching educational programs to train people in the business of growing and marketing marijuana, in light of a new state law legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana. There is, however, one significant hitch in that idea: Such programs could run afoul of a federal […]
Weed cafes in Illinois? People could be allowed to smoke marijuana (not tobacco) at bars, restaurants under new law.
Since 2008, it’s been illegal to smoke indoors at most public places in Illinois. But smoking could once again be allowed at bars, restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses, even new cannabis smoke lounges and weed-friendly movie theaters and concert venues — if local officials approve that. That’s under a largely overlooked provision of the […]
Illinois is expunging marijuana convictions from nearly 800,000 criminal records
If you’ve been arrested for weed in Illinois, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker just signed HB 1438 this week, which makes cannabis legal in the state for individuals 21 and over, along with sweeping criminal justice reforms designed to help those whose lives have been upended by the state’s drug […]
Gov. Pritzker expected to sign bill into law Tuesday that would legalize marijuana in Illinois on Jan. 1
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected Tuesday to approve a plan to legalize marijuana in Illinois next year, marking a momentous shift in how the state treats drug use. The governor is set to sign into law a bill allowing the licensed growth, sales, possession and consumption of cannabis for adults 21 and over, according to […]
Michigan could face competition after Illinois legislature approves recreational pot
When Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs legislation legalizing recreational marijuana later this month, it will set up a race for the Midwest. Who gets to be first in the Midwest to kick off the market for legal weed and capitalize on a potential billion dollar industry, Michigan or Illinois? Michigan voters got a head start, […]
Recreational marijuana goes on sale Jan. 1 in Illinois. Dispensaries are already getting ready.
Recreational marijuana is just a signature away from being legal in Illinois, and dispensaries are staffing up, remodeling, and wasting no time preparing for new foot traffic. Illinois lawmakers approved a bill Friday that, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s promised signature, will allow the state’s 55 medical dispensaries to apply to sell recreational marijuana. Additionally, the dispensaries can […]
Marijuana advocates hit unexpected roadblocks
Advocates of legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes scored their most significant legislative victory of the year Friday when the Illinois state House gave final approval to a measure allowing residents over the age of 21 to purchase and use cannabis products. But their win in Springfield comes at the end of a string of defeats […]
As a Deadline for Legalizing Marijuana in Illinois Approaches, a New Poll Finds Strong Public Support
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his allies in the state legislature have only one week left in the current session to pass a bill legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Whether they succeed will depend partly on whether legislators believe they have the support of most voters, and a recent poll indicates they do, reinforcing the results of […]
Illinois’ marijuana market could rival Colorado’s in the coming years, report finds
The cannabis industry in the U.S. has long been centered around states like Colorado and Oregon, but now, marijuana sales in Illinois and its neighboring states east of the Mississippi River are poised to rival those out west. The U.S. cannabis market is heading for massive growth, with sales that are expected to reach $22.7 […]
Growing recreational pot at home might not be allowed after all under Illinois legalization proposal, sponsors say
Just more than a week after introducing a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Illinois, sponsors have begun retooling the measure to appease critics. In one of the most fundamental changes, sponsors say it is likely they will eliminate a provision to let all adult state residents grow up to five plants at home. A member […]
Target date to legally buy marijuana in Illinois is Jan. 1, but details of bill still hazy
Details of a bill to legalize adult recreational marijuana were not released in the General Assembly this past week despite earlier assurances, but one of the initiative’s primary sponsors said they will be forthcoming “very soon.” Chicago Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy said she hopes the bill would be approved by the General Assembly by the […]
Illinois marijuana legalization proposal advances without public details
There are no details filed yet for a bill to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana in Illinois, but that did not stop the state Senate Executive Committee from voting on the measure Wednesday. As it stands now, Senate Bill 7 is what is referred to as a “shell bill,” or a vehicle to be amended with […]
Demand for legal marijuana in Illinois would far exceed licensed growers’ ability to supply it, study shows
Legal recreational marijuana in Illinois could drive demand as high as 550,000 pounds a year, far more than the state’s licensed growers can supply, according to a new study commissioned by state legislators. The study, performed by the Colorado consulting firm Freedman & Koski, lends support to those who argue that Illinois’ fledgling marijuana industry should expand […]
First bill emerges this year to legalize marijuana in Illinois — would allow up to 24 plants at home
A Democratic state lawmaker has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Illinois that likely goes further than other legislators prefer, but it has officially started the debate over complex legislation that will need to serve many interests. The bill, introduced Jan. 25 by Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana, would allow licensed businesses to grow […]
Illinois state legislators lay out plans for recreational marijuana proposal
Marijuana “bars” would be prohibited, and teenagers caught driving under the influence of marijuana would lose their licenses, a Springfield audience was told Monday night by lawmakers crafting a bill to allow recreational use of cannabis in Illinois. Hearing those details pleased state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, whose town hall-style meeting on the issue […]
With Pritzker and Madigan on board, Illinois Dems push again for marijuana legalization
State Sen. Heather Steans and state Rep. Kelly Cassidy introduced legislation last March to legalize recreational cannabis in Illinois, but the bills failed in both houses of the Legislature. A lot has since changed in Illinois politics, and the Chicago Democrats now plan to give it another try. On Election Day, pro-pot Democrat J.B. Pritzker cruised to victory past […]
