Legal retail sales could begin Jan. 1, 2020
•June 5, 2019•
By Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House on Friday passed a bill legalizing adult recreational marijuana in the state.
The 66-to-47 vote sends House Bill 1438 to Gov. J.B. Pritzker who campaigned in 2018 on a platform that included legalizing marijuana. The Senate approved the bill on Wednesday, 38-17.
“The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation,” Pritzker said in a statement released after the vote. “This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance. In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.”
Friday’s vote, however, came after a marathon debate that lasted nearly four hours, leaving lawmakers with less than 10 hours to complete the rest of their business for the session. That forced leaders to announce the House would continue meeting Saturday and Sunday.
With passage of the marijuana bill, Illinois is poised to become the 10th state in the nation to legalize its use by adults for recreational purposes. But it would be the first to do so by a comprehensive statute enacted by the legislature rather than through a ballot initiative.
Vermont legalized marijuana through legislation in 2018, but that law covered only personal use and cultivation. It did not include retail sales. Read More
