Marijuana In Illinois
Introducing Your Guide to Marijuana in Illinois
As of Jan. 1, it’s legal to buy and smoke recreational marijuana in Illinois – whether you like it or not. What you need to know about the new era of pot policy in 2020.
Paper Restrictions at Cook County Jail Signal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Concerns
Nov 7, 2023 | DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence
Since the beginning of 2023, Cook County Jail administration has reported 16 deaths in custody, with five attributed to overdoses, according to... Read More
As Delta-8 Cannabis Products Gain Popularity, Chicago and Illinois Officials Debate How to Best Regulate the Substance
Sep 20, 2023 | Andrea Guthmann
Products made from delta-8 promise to deliver a milder marijuana-like high. But unlike marijuana, which is strictly regulated and can only be sold... Read More
New Cannabis License Process Aims to Focus on Social Equity
Jan 21, 2023 | Erica Gunderson
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the latest timeline and application process for obtaining a cannabis...... Read more
From Starbucks to Marijuana Dispensaries, 2022 Marked a Year of Gains for Labor Organizers in Chicago, US
Dec 27, 2022 | Nick Blumberg
Workers at high-profile companies like Amazon and Starbucks have unionized, as have employees at smaller chains and locally-owned firms. Chicago...... Read more
While a Black-Owned Cannabis Dispensary Opens in Chicago, Critics Say State’s Equity Work Still Falling Short
Dec 8, 2022 | Amanda Vinicky
The lag time for shops to open raises the question of whether Illinois has followed through on its pledge to use legal marijuana to lift communities...... Read more
5 Things to Know
You’ll have to be 21 years old to legally buy and use marijuana.
All marijuana sold in dispensaries across the state will be grown in Illinois (in one of the state’s licensed “cultivation centers”).
Want to grow your own? Only state-registered medical marijuana patients can do that. (The limit’s five per household.)
Medical marijuana patients also get first dibs on cannabis if supplies run short (and in the beginning, they may).
You won’t be allowed to smoke, vape or consume marijuana or pot products in public. That includes bars and restaurants.
Illinois Dispensaries
Right now, there are 55 pot shops in Illinois catering to medical marijuana users. (The state calls them “cannabis dispensaries.”) Each of these shops is allowed to open a second location to sell recreational marijuana, so that number will only grow. Use our map to see which shops are open, and where they’re located.
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Biden Pardons Thousands for ‘Simple Possession’ of Marijuana
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The Illinois Marijuana Industry Was Supposed to Bring Equity. Advocates Say Those Promises Are Falling Short
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Illinois was supposed to be the national model when government leaders pledged they’d use the 2020 legalization of marijuana to right the wrongs of the war on drugs that disproportionately harmed Black and Latino communities. Nearly three years later, those poised to benefit say they’re
