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.
Intoxicating Hemp Remains Unregulated in Illinois Following Legislative Inaction
| Medill Illinoi…
It marked the third consecutive year that a regulatory bill failed, the latest front in a legislative fight that largely pits the state’s… Read More
After Objections, CPD Agrees Officers Will Not Search Vehicles Based on Smell of Raw Cannabis: Reform Groups
| Heather Cherone
Chicago Police Department officials agreed to revise proposed new rules and prohibit officers from searching vehicles based on the smell of raw… Read More
Committee Advances Bill to Ban Vehicle Searches Based on Smell of Cannabis
| Ben Szalinski …
The bill comes after the Illinois Supreme Court issued a pair of rulings last year. The court ruled in September that the smell of burnt cannabis did…... Read more
Illinois Black Hemp Association Says Industry ‘Under Attack’ by Pritzker Amid Push for Stricter Regulation
| Amanda Vinicky
Many in the hemp industry said not everyone in the hemp space uses deceitful and dangerous practices, and that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s approach will…... Read more
Endometriosis, Ovarian Cysts Among Conditions Added to Illinois Medical Marijuana Qualification List
| Amanda Vinicky
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Thursday that patients diagnosed with endometriosis, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and female…... 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.
Watch
Why Marijuana is a Messy Business for Banks
In Massachusetts, Concern Over Upscale Nature of Legal Pot
The Growing Business of Cannabis in San Diego
How the Legalization Debate is Playing Out Across the US
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
Pritzker, Johnson Clash Over Hemp Regulation as Bill Stalls in Springfield
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants the state to come through for him in a major way to boost spending on the city’s schools and transportation networks — but Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Johnson and his team “don’t reach out very often, and it seems like they don’t have good relationships in
Key City Panel Advances Measure to Ban Sale of Intoxicating Hemp in 2 Southwest Side Wards
If approved by the full City Council, violations of the ordinance could trigger fines of at least $2,000 and no more than $5,000. A final vote on the measure could come at the City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 15.
Pritzker Endorses Bill That Would Impose New Regulations on State’s Hemp Industry
Illinois lawmakers passed legislation in 2018 to allow the commercial production of hemp, the same year Congress legalized hemp nationwide through the 2018 Farm Bill.
