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Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker said on Saturday he had reached an agreement with lawmakers on a plan to legalize marijuana in Illinois from next year 2020.
Pritzker said the proposal "begins to correct some historical errors" against minority communities that have suffered from discriminatory drug policies and enforcement.
This bill will allow adults aged 21 years or older to legally purchase marijuana for recreational use from licensed locations.
State residents can own up to 30 grams of marijuana and non-residents can own about 15 grams.
If Pritzker succeeds, Illinois will join 10 other states, including neighboring Michigan, while Illinois law will enter into force in January. The first licenses for Illinois farmers, processors and clinics will only be issued in May and July 2020, According to the governor's office.
The governor's office said 35 percent of cannabis proceeds would go to the state's public employment fund, while an additional 25 percent would go to the fund to restore our new communities. These funds will be distributed in the form of grants to communities "most affected by discriminatory drug policies."
The procedure includes a $ 20 million low-interest loan program to help pay the cost of a licensed cannabis business for "social equity applicants". These applicants include persons who have lived in a "disproportionately affected area" - or communities with high rates of poverty, high rates of detention and imprisonment for marijuana offenses - or have been arrested or convicted of crimes eligible for liquidation.
"The results of this law are far-reaching and will have devastating effects on citizens, communities and young people," said Kevin Samet, founder and president of Marijuana Smart Approaches. "Illinois lawmakers must follow a logical, logical approach and not welcome them in another industry aimed at profit addiction in the state."
Medical cannabis is already legal in Illinois. Pritzker has campaigned on the issue of legitimizing marijuana and relies on $ 170 million of license fees in the proposed state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. He said future revenues from legal marijuana would help Illinois address some of its deep financial problems.
Critics of the regulation said, including law enforcement and the Illinois NAACP, that it would lead to more addiction and mental health issues and would hurt rather than help black communities.
Years of work by stakeholders across Illinois means that today we are putting forward a framework to legalize adult use cannabis on January 1, 2020. pic.twitter.com/l1rbX9Oozu— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 4, 2019
Introducing this framework is a major step forward to legalize adult use cannabis in Illinois, and I look forward to hearing more feedback as we move forward.— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 4, 2019
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