Illinois becomes 11th state to allow recreational marijuana

ILLINOIS (KFVS) - Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill on Tuesday, June 25 that will legalize adult-use cannabis.

Watch the signing of House Bill 1438 below:

LIVE: Ill. Gov. to sign bill to legalize adult-use cannabis http://bit.ly/2II1DzW
Posted by KFVS-TV on Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Officials with the Governor’s office said this is being called the most equity-centric bill in the nation in regards to cannabis.

The bill creates a $30 million loan program, social equity applicant status for licensing and expunges roughly 700,000 records.

Adult-use cannabis will be legal in Illinois, beginning Jan. 1, 2020 under the new bill.

“As the first state in the nation to fully legalize adult-use cannabis through the legislative process, Illinois exemplifies the best of democracy: a bipartisan and deep commitment to better the lives of all of our people,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “Legalizing adult-use cannabis brings an important and overdue change to our state, and it’s the right thing to do. This legislation will clear the cannabis-related records of nonviolent offenders through an efficient combination of automatic expungement, gubernatorial pardon and individual court action. I’m so proud that our state is leading with equity and justice in its approach to cannabis legalization and its regulatory framework. Because of the work of the people here today and so many more all across our state, Illinois is moving forward with empathy and hope.”

Click here for an overview of the bill’s major elements

Officials with the governors office provided a few points of note for the newly signed bill.

Residents of the state are limited to 30 grams of cannabis flower and five grams of cannabis concentrate.
A cannabis-infused product may contain no more than 500 milligrams of THC.
Patients that are registered in the medical cannabis pilot program may have more than 30 grams of cannabis if it is grown and secured in their residence under certain conditions.
Non-Illinois residents are limited to 15 grams of cannabis flower and 2.5 grams of cannabis.
A cannabis-infused product may contain no more than 250 milligrams of THC for non-Illinois residents.
Twenty percent of state cannabis revenue will go to support efforts to address substance abuse and prevention and mental health.

Copyright 2019 KFVS. All rights reserved.