Recreational marijuana and cannabis products now legal in Illinois; Lieutenant Governor among the first to buy

January 2, 2020 • 10:00 am

With all the bad news stretching through the holidays, we have some good news in Illinois: as of January 1, recreational marijuana and its derivatives are legal to buy in our state. Last June, our new Democratic governor, J. B. Pritzker, signed a bill allowing those 21 and older to buy 30 grams of marijuana (a bit over an ounce), 5 grams of cannabis concentrates like oils, and “edibles” containing up to 500 mg of THC. If you’re an out-of-state resident, you can buy half that amount, but of course you aren’t allowed to transport it across state lines, or fly with it anywhere.

This makes 11 states total where recreational marijuana is legal, as well as Washington D.C.  Here’s a map from Business Insider of where both medical and recreational marijuana is legal (the green ones, along with Washington, D.C.):

Many stores were open yesterday, on New Year’s Day, and, according to the local news, the lines at the dispensaries in Chicago were long, with waits from 4-6 hours. You can see the CNN report by clicking on the screenshot below:

From the CNN report:

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was among hundreds of early morning customers at Sunnyside Dispensary, a Chicago marijuana dispensary, on the first day of legal recreational sales in the state, according to a release from Cresco Labs, which owns the dispensary.

“For too long, IL residents, particularly those that are black & brown, have been targeted and criminalized for #cannabis possession,” Stratton wrote in a tweet following her visit. “It’s not just a new year, it’s a new day. Thank you, @GovPritzker, for ending prohibition and building a more equitable Illinois.”

Stratton bought a 100-milligram tin of Mindy’s Edibles Glazed Clementine Orange Gummies, according to a statement from Joe Caltabiano, Cresco Labs president and co-founder. Each gummy is 5 milligrams, a “very popular microdose for beginning edible consumers,” he said.

I want to know how she jumped the queue to get in first!

Here’s Stratton’s tweet:

And look at those lines!

According to the longer Chicago Tribune report (which gives a handy map of the dispensaries), the lines were accelerated by having people write their orders down on paper bags before entering the store. To wit:

Forty-three dispensaries have been approved as state weed-procurement sites, most of them around Chicago.

It’s only a matter of time, I think, before marijuana is legal in every state, though that might happen through decriminalization on the federal level rather than state by state, and that will still be some time away. So if you smoke weed anywhere that it’s legal, you remain in accord with state laws but in violation of federal laws.

In the meantime, as CBS News reports, the next states that may legalize recreational marijuana—and this is not by any means certain—include Florida, New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and Minnesota. It’s simply baffling that alcohol, a far more dangerous drug than marijuana, is legal almost everywhere (there are a few dry counties and cities), but marijuana remains illegal in most places. This is presumably because of its reputation as the “devil’s weed”, coupled with weed’s reputation as a gateway drug to “harder” stuff. That’s true to a very limited extent, but so are alcohol and tobacco.

Further good news: on New Year’s Eve, governor Pritzker approved pardons for 11,000 low-level marijuana offenders, a smart move that will save the state considerable money.

“Happy” New Year!

 

39 thoughts on “Recreational marijuana and cannabis products now legal in Illinois; Lieutenant Governor among the first to buy”

  1. I continue to be confused by the drive against tobacco and the drive for marijuana. I can’t imagine that marijuana smoking is any better for you than tobacco.

    1. How is this confusing? To my knowledge, nobody has suggested fining or imprisoning people for using tobacco.

      1. A quick google search reveals:

        A sweeping federal assessment of marijuana research found the lung-health risks of smoking weed appear “relatively small” and “far lower than those of smoking tobacco,” the top cause of preventable death in the U.S.

        Marijuana is “better” for you than tobacco. You shouldn’t be confused.

        1. The risks of heart disease and lung cancer from smoking tobacco becomes significant after some decades of smoking. This is firmly established in large part b/c it used to be very common and so we have the statistical data.
          It seems to me that use of marijuana would also be very harmful over the longer term, especially since it is deeply inhaled. But b/c it is not used as frequently (in terms of both daily use, and in terms of numbers of people), we don’t have the data on it as far as I know. But it is noxious, tarry stuff. Inhaled deeply. That can’t be ok!

    2. Cigarette smoking is ALL day smoking, for some this includes when they first get up and the last thing they do before bed, while at work and on the toilet! Marijuana is like alcohol in that you would not smoke it on the job, if you value your job that is.. although I knew a researcher who would indulge early in the morning as it helped him focus, zero in as he put it.
      Just recently I read a piece about marijuana and it’s effect on sperm count, too much, it has a negative effect, just the right amount and it has a positive effect…
      One thing is for sure, data on it’s long term effects and usage is going to be interesting.

      1. Alcohol is also pretty dangerous and addicts do find ways to use it “on the job”.

        Overall though, I think this is a positive move, if only because we can (or at least eleven states in the US can) do studies of the health problems without running afoul of the law.

    4. A lot of public animus against tobacco, especially now with the vaping craze, is its overt marketing to children.

      I don’t doubt that in 20 years there’ll be similar concerns about marijuana producers trying to grow their market base in similar ways but at the moment they’re too busy trying to organize for simple decriminalization to target kids with advertising.

  2. The pardons addressed a small part of the new law. The state’s Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, allows people to automatically receive clemency for convictions up to 30 grams of cannabis. Those convicted with larger amounts, from 30 to 500 grams, can petition a court to have the charge lifted. Eventually it could affect the more than 700,000 residents with marijuana-related offenses on their criminal records

  3. Here in Wisconsin we’re now surrounded by states with legal weed. Polling shows that legalization is popular among voters but Republican troglodytes control our legislature and so as long as gerrymandering keeps them in power we’ll continue to suffer the consequences of this stupid prohibition.

    1. I thought Wisconsin gerrymandering laws were found unconstitutional and were being lifted. Maybe I’m thinking of another state.

      But yes, religious underpinnings of the GOP stifle progress in many states. Vote ’em out people! Even gerrymandering can be overcome by voter turnout.

      1. Sadly, no. The Supremes bailed on the Wisconsin case leaving things as is.

        There was a single district that had to be redrawn a few years ago, but the general gerrymandered districts will remain as is at least until after the census forces redistricting. But Republicans are already working to control the process again.

        1. Yes, I think the Supremes are leaving that issue up to the states. A big mistake, I think. The Republicans in Wisconsin have done a large # of things to saddle democratic voting and to disable workers unions.

      2. You may be thinking of Michigan. In the 2018 election, Michigan voters passed a referendum establishing a non-partisan commission to oversee the drawing of congressional districts.*

        They also passed a referendum legalizing recreational marijuana which is in effect, and elected Democratic women to the state’s three highest offices: Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. All this gives me hope that Michigan, a crucial swing state, will NOT go for Trump in 2020 as it did in 2016.

        * This won’t be in effect until after 2020, but a recent court ruling declared the current districts unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans. If the ruling isn’t overturned on appeal it will result in new districts for 2020.

        1. Yes. Unlike Michigan, Wisconsin doesn’t have a state referendum system. All we can do is pass advisory referenda county-by-county. Many have done so, for all the good it has done.

        2. Aha, thanks for all the added information GBJames and Taz. Man, that really sucks for you all in the badger state. Republicans are useless.

  5. If people want to smoke marijuana, just as regular tobacco, it is fine with me. It is their bodies. It may have some medicinal benefits. Still, it is possible that smoking marijuana on a regular basis for recreational purposes carries health risks. The American Lung Association concludes the following about marijuana smoking:

    • Smoking marijuana clearly damages the human lung, and regular use leads to chronic bronchitis and can cause an immune-compromised person to be more susceptible to lung infections.

    •No one should be exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke.

    • Due to the risks it poses to lung health, the American Lung Association strongly cautions the public against smoking marijuana as well as tobacco products.

    • More research is needed into the effects of marijuana on health, especially lung health.

    So, my personal decision is not to take the risk of smoking marijuana. There may be other risks to health in addition to lung damage. Also, society may incur additional costs for treating medical problems caused by smoking marijuana.

    https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/marijuana-and-lung-health.html

    2. You should try the marijuana laced caramels. No need to smoke but these candies are really quite delightful.

  6. There was no line at the local dispensary when I came to work, but I’m told there was was a decent queue by 9.30. The sign on the door said that they open at 10.30, so I’m guessing that a lunchtime snack won’t be happening 😉

  7. Not my cup of tea, but I’m very glad it is legal here in IL. However, I do dislike how the CTA trains now reek. Of course,they reeked of weed before it became legal. I don’t know if the folks who smoke are aware of how awful they smell.

  8. Good news. Looking forward to more states.

    I am really looking forward to the studies for both benefits and disadvantages of THC consumption. And maybe opening up more studies on illicit drugs, rather than just assuming they are toxins.

  9. The health issues of using marijuana may not all be known but so what. The focus should be that marijuana cannot now nor has it ever been prohibited in a way that was successful. It is kind of like prohibition in the 20s/30s. It did not work and in fact only made it worse. This is very true for marijuana. The cost to society in the attempt to enforce the prohibition is much worse. Our society has been very slow to learn this simple lesson. The early states to legalize the business are making lots of money collecting taxes on the sell. Is that not a whole lot smarter than have your streets covered up with criminal activity of selling illegal marijuana? Everyone should be able to see this issue more clearly.

    1. That’s exactly the issue. Prisons and the courts are overflowing with millions of people who committed the “crime” of possessing small amounts. It is a farce.

  10. My kid brother spent most of his professional career in management with Sears, Roebuck in Chicago. When Sears went belly-up last year, he took a management job with the distribution wing of Cresco Labs.

    I told him it stamped his life with a certain symmetry, going back 40+ years to his days as a teenage pothead. 🙂

  11. Indiana resident here. We’ll probably be the last state to legalize as we’re fire engine red from stem to stern. I enjoyed weed in the 60’s and 70’s, but I became averse in my old(er) age. My wife still enjoys the stuff, but it seems to make me anxious. My fishing buddy who has raised marijuana for decades in Michigan tells me I just need to find the right strain. My drug of choice is craft beer which I purchase each evening from my local American Legion for $1.25/pint ($1.00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays) The big drawback is they allow smoking and it seems everyone does so I get a full dose of second hand smoke. I wonder what their policy would be if they legalized pot? Meh. I’ll probably be dead by then.

  12. It has been much discussed here in Michigan (one of the legal states for Mary Jane) that the licensing of dispensaries is too complicated and expensive. It is hard for regular folks to get through this process, and so the system in effect has become overwhelmingly biased to white people who get this business opportunity.

  14. I fail to see how allowing psychoactive drugs in society is a good thing.

    I dunno about marijuana, but I quickly found this:

    “Short-term side effects may include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, red eyes, and feelings of paranoia or anxiety.[23][26][27] Long-term side effects may include addiction, decreased mental ability in those who started regular use as teenagers, and behavioral problems in children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy.[23] There is a strong relation between cannabis use and the risk of psychosis,[28][29] though the cause-and-effect is debated.[30]”

    [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug) ]

    1. SO are you in favor of destroying people’s lives, destroying families, militarizing police to smash down doors and brutalize people, killing quite a few in the process, filling jails and prisons to overflowing, creating violent criminal undergrounds and forcing average decent people to associate themselves with it?

      Then there is the constant fear and threat that those who do use it are always under as the police know that so many are close to it.

      Marijuana prohibition and the monstrous brutality that it has visited on so many ‘innocent’ people is a crime against humanity.

      Millions of people all over the world use it regularly for years without issue.

      The ‘war’ on drugs has both failed and created monumental suffering.

      Are you proposing that this vicious brutalizing of people making a personal choice that doesn’t affect others continue, be ramped up or what?

      I will repeat that I consider that the laws against all drugs but marijuana, in particular, is a crime against humanity.

      I don’t use it.

    3. Whether or not cannabis use is a good thing, government prohibition of it is clearly a bad thing.

      Cannabis is one of the least harmful recreational drugs, and the criminalization of it has had horrible consequences.

  15. Things are moving in a good direction in the US as far as this issue goes.
    Hopefully, a tipping point will be reached where acceptance outways opponents and all states and the federal government will decriminalize it and expunge convictions for possession and use.

    And then use its power in the world to sway world opinion.

    Past US pressure caused many countries to enact strict drug laws causing much suffering for many people.

    Worldwide decriminalization and expungement of all convictions would be good.

  16. This illustrates one of the strengths of the USA system: even though the federal government is under the control of dimwits, the states can still make progress.

    1. Pot Smokers Unite! We’re everywhere, dammit. Sorry for the theocratic leaning states though.

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