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.
State Partners With Legal Aid Network To Expunge Cannabis-Related Records
Sep 27, 2021 | Acacia Hernandez
More than two years after a state law legalizing recreational marijuana was passed, an estimated 34,000 Illinoisans are still waiting to have... Read More
City Council Votes to Allow Marijuana to Be Sold — Legally — Downtown
Sep 20, 2021 | Heather Cherone
Black Caucus Chair Ald. Jason Ervin (28th Ward) said the City Council should act quickly and loosen the rules because the legal sale of cannabis... Read More
Aldermen Advance Plan To Allow Marijuana To Be Sold — Legally — Downtown
Sep 8, 2021 | Heather Cherone
A push by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to allow cannabis to be sold legally downtown cleared a key city panel on Wednesday, even though it won’t allow...... Read more
Will Pot ‘Piranhas’ Take Over Illinois’ Market?
Aug 5, 2021 | Amanda Vinicky
Illinois today selected another 55 winners from a pool of 589 qualifying applicants seeking to open cannabis dispensaries. It’s another step on a...... Read more
Illinois Sees Record Pot Sales, With Boost from Lollapalooza
Aug 5, 2021 | Associated Press
Illinois dispensaries sold a record $127.8 million in recreational marijuana in July, with a big boost coming from out-of-state fans who converged on...... 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
Lotteries, Licenses and Lawsuits: Attaining Equity in the Cannabis Industry
Aug 1, 2021
When recreational marijuana was legalized in Illinois, Gov. J. B. Pritzker’s stated goal was to use the burgeoning industry to reverse the harm done to Black and brown communities during the war on drugs. But those profiting from pot sales are nearly all white men.
Has Illinois Fixed its Flawed Marijuana Industry Expansion?
Jul 15, 2021
Three lotteries have been set where successful applicants will win coveted licenses to collectively open another 185 cannabis dispensaries throughout Illinois.
Pot Users Welcome: Amazon Won’t Test Jobseekers for Cannabis
Jun 2, 2021
Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the U.S. behind Walmart, is making the change as states legalize cannabis or introduce laws banning employers from testing for it.
