Will Illinois Soon Embrace Legal Recreational Cannabis?

Illinois might soon legalize recreational cannabis now that lawmakers have presented legislation that seeks to bring about this change in the region.

The governor has also admitted that he too is ready to implement the changes and sign the bill quickly after it gets passed. Even his budget for 2020 allegedly includes funding that is expected to come from the legalization of recreational cannabis in the state.

It's been estimated that the current demand for cannabis in Illinois would quickly exceed the growers' ability in the region.

According to one study, the growers would be unable to meet that demand. But others say that the demand has been underestimated, they could need even more.

Previous studies have also estimated that a legal recreational cannabis market could help to bring hundreds of millions to the state. Some speculate that it could be even more, that Illinois could be the next multi-billion dollar cannabis market.

The bill that's seeking to form that recreational market is the Cannabis Legalization Equity Act and that isn't the only one that's been proposed, there are multiple efforts that have been seeking to end the ongoing criminalization of recreational cannabis in the state.

If the newly proposed legislative changes that are seeking to reform the cannabis market in Illinois get passed, this would also make way for the removal of records for people who have low-level possession and dealing convictions related to cannabis.

It would also allow anyone in the state who is 21 or older to purchase and possess cannabis and they'd also be able to grow their own at home. However, there would also be restrictions from consuming it in public areas, as well as driving under the influence etc.

Currently, there are at least 55 medical cannabis dispensaries in the state.

It's been previously estimated that over 800,000 people in Illinois use cannabis regularly, but there are only around 42,00 or so who are officially registered under the medicinal cannabis program with the state.

Many people in the state support legalization, some polls suspect it's as much as 60 percent or more.

But not everyone is happy about the change of course. There has been push-back to the reform. Some lawmakers have insisted that the state should take a slow approach to the legalization and one representative has already introduced a resolution that's gathered at least 60 sponsors that's seeking to impede that legalization process. Law enforcement have also expressed their discontent with the change, fearing what possible impact cannabis freedom might bring to the state. Instead, what they should be more afraid of is participating in and supporting the ongoing drug war, perpetrating the notion that it's right to continue violating basic human rights and infringing violence upon people for their consumption habits.

Despite the critics, it's still expected that those sales for recreational cannabis will begin sometime in 2020.

Pics:
Pic1-Getty
Pic2- ITV
Pic3 - WQAD

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