Democratic Governor J.B Pritzker, who was elected last year signed a bill on Tuesday which legalized Marijuana in Illinois. It is the 11th state in the country to legalize Marijuana. The democratic Gov. fulfilled its promise of the election campaign and made Marijuana legal in the state. And the legalization takes effect on Jan 1, 2020.
There are ten other states that have approved the recreational use of marijuana. States like California, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada and Vermont. There are several other towns that have also decriminalised recreational use of marijuana.
The legalization of Marijuana for legal purpose is risky. But it makes sure that adults have the drug in moderate and contained amount. And the law states that residents of Illinois who are 21 or older can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, 5 grams of concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC in products such as edibles.
But the law will also exonerate many people with criminal records. It will expunge the records of 800,000 people, with criminal records as a result of purchasing and possessing 30 grams or less of marijuana. The law helps the tax revenues and also helps redevelop impoverished communities in the state.
Pritzker said in a statement- “Legalizing adult-use cannabis brings an important and overdue change to our state, and it’s right thing to do. This legalisation will clear the cannabis related records of non-violent offenders through an efficient combination of automatic expungement, gubernatorial pardon and individual court action.”
He also said “I’m proud that our state is leading with equity and justice in its approach to cannabis legalization and its regulatory framework. Signing this bill into law won’t undo the injustices of the past or make whole the lives that were interrupted. We can’t turn back the clock- but we can turn the page.” Illinois became successful in doing what New York and New Jersey couldn’t do.
