Legal Marijuana In Illinois
(Marijuana flower, CNN.com)
On the first of January, 2020, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize Marijuana both medicinally and recreationally. Marijuana is legal for anyone age 21 and older, to be purchased from the projected 250+ licenced dispensaries. It is legal now for the people of Illinois to hold up 30 grams of marijuana, and up to 5 grams of concentrated cannabis oil also known as dabs. It is only legal to grow the marijuana plant if the user has a medical reason to, and they may grow up to 5 plants; however a non medical user may not grow any plants. People are finally starting to get over the stigma that falls on marijuana, which means more and more states are legalizing it.It is good news for anyone who was previously sentenced to jail for possession of under 30 grams, because their cases will be reviewed and they could be released. In fact, on December 31st, 2019, Governor Pritzker pardoned more than 11,000 people who were previously convicted. Many people believe marijuana should still be illegal, but Illinois legalizing it is one more step to helping them understand why it should be legal.
Noah Carlson ‘21
