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.
Efforts to Expand Jefferson Park Cannabis Dispensary Stall Amid Equity Concerns
Apr 26, 2021 | Heather Cherone
Plans to expand a medical marijuana dispensary on Chicago’s Far Northwest Side are on hold after members of the City Council’s Black Caucus... Read More
Legislation Aims to Fix Stalled Equity Efforts in Illinois Cannabis Industry
Apr 21, 2021 | Amanda Vinicky
The Illinois legislature has just over a month left in its spring session. On the docket is a fix for how the state awards licenses to operate in... Read More
Toi Hutchinson on Illinois’ First Year of Legal Pot, Equity Challenges
Jan 27, 2021 | Quinn Myers
It’s been one year since recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s senior adviser for cannabis control talks about how...... Read more
Lightfoot Extinguishes Proposal From Alderman to Allow Pot Shops Downtown
Jan 27, 2021 | Heather Cherone
In killing a proposal from one of her City Council allies to allow cannabis to be sold legally downtown and in the Loop, Mayor Lori Lightfoot told...... Read more
Crain’s Headlines: High Note for Illinois Pot Sales
Jan 4, 2021 | WTTW News
Recreational marijuana has been legal in Illinois for just over a year — and sales were better than expected. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann...... 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.
Related Stories
State Officials: Nearly 500,000 Marijuana Arrest Records Have Been Expunged
Dec 31, 2020
In the first year since Illinois legalized recreational marijuana, the Illinois State Police expunged 492,192 non-felony cannabis arrest records, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office announced on Thursday.
A Look at Illinois’ Marijuana Expungement Efforts
Dec 29, 2020
Friday marks one year since it became legal to buy and use marijuana in Illinois. But what about the thousands of people who previously got in trouble for possessing, smoking or selling pot?
Illinois’ Pot Program Falls Short on Social Equity Promises
Dec 28, 2020
Illinois’ recreational marijuana program was set up to right the wrongs of a war on drugs by giving a leg up to those from disadvantaged communities or who had been punished for low-level drug crimes. But nearly a year later, social equity applicants remain locked out.
