Illinois Gov. Pritzker signed the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (CRTA) into law shorty after 11 a.m. CST.
The bill makes Illinois the 11th state to legalize cannabis and the second to legalize the cannabis possession through the legislative process. The signing of the bill also makes Illinois the first to legalize retail sales legislatively. The governor expects $57 million in revenue in the first year and much more after that. The new law would allow residents to purchase and possess up to one ounce (30 grams) of usable cannabis at a time, while non residents could have up to 15 grams. Edibles totaling no more than 500mg of THC and five grams of cannabis concentrate products will also be legal. Up to five privately home-grown plants would be allowed for personal use, but only for patients approved for the existing medical marijuana program.
Along with allowing legalization, criminal records for individuals with prior cannabis issues will be opportunities to expunge arrests and convictions. According to the Governor after signing the bill he stated that there will be three categories in which a person may fall into. For individuals with less than 30 grams and only an arrest, their arrest record will be auto expunged. People with under 30 grams convictions will go through a process where records will be produced and given to the prisoner review board to have convictions removed, that is sent to the governor and he pardons them. However the State’s Attorney may object to the expungement on the grounds that the records contain specific relevant information aside from the mere fact of the arrest. For individuals with 30 grams up to 500 grams, the governor states the process is beyond prisoner review board but they will have the opportunity to have record expungement. But no individual will be eligible if they have a violent crime conviction.
There are so many exceptions to this expungement process, that all cannot be noted in just one article. As well though, to help cover the costs of people seeking expungement the bill sets up what is called the Cannabis Business Development Fund. The portion of the bill is designed to help with business investment and reinvestment programs for communities that have been targeted by cannabis enforcement.
Gov. Pritzker signs the bill with a focus on fairness and justice, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. They say the bill contains the most far-reaching social equity provisions ever included in a legalization law. It will go into effect on January 1, 2020, beginning at dispensaries that are already open for the state’s medical marijuana patients.