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.
4/20 Fizzle: Pot Industry Tested as Virus Slams Economy
Apr 20, 2020 | Associated Press
For businesses, 4/20 is usually their once-a-year Black Friday, when sales soar. Instead, they are reporting up-and-down buying and pondering an... Read More
Can Chicago Fix the Problem of #MarijuanaSoMale?
Feb 25, 2020 | Patty Wetli
More and more states are legalizing marijuana, but the number of women involved in the cannabis industry keeps dropping. What can Chicago do to... Read More
State Offers Guidance on Medical Pot
Feb 6, 2020 | Amanda Vinicky
A little more than a month after Illinois legalized marijuana, questions remain about whether the program is as equitable as promised. The popularity...... Read more
Should You Give Your Pet CBD? Research is Hazy, Says Vet Group
Jan 24, 2020 | Kristen Thometz
CBD pet products claim to treat pain, anxiety and even seizures, but do they work? And are they even safe? The chief veterinary officer of the...... Read more
Pot Makes Pets Sick, Says Veterinary Group
Jan 21, 2020 | Kristen Thometz
Marijuana may produce pleasurable affects in people, but for pets, the mind-altering substance can be dangerous and even lethal, according to the...... 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
Crain’s Headlines: Cook County OKs 3% Tax on Pot Sales
Jan 16, 2020
Come summer, people buying cannabis in Chicago will pay 6% in local pot taxes, in addition to the state tax on pot, which ranges from 10% to 25%, depending on the potency of the product being purchased.
Governor’s 1st Year: Pritzker on Pot, Madigan and Pensions
Jan 14, 2020
One year ago, Illinois got a new leader when J.B. Pritzker was sworn in as the state’s 43rd governor. Pritzker reflects on his first year in office and looks ahead to what’s next.
Crain’s Headlines: Pot Sales Slump in Week 2 of Legalization
Jan 14, 2020
Sales statewide slid from more than $2 million in the opening days to about $1.2 million as dispensaries struggled to keep shelves full.
