Recreational cannabis is legal now in the state of Illinois, as of Jan. 1, 2020. So, how legal is it and what does “legal recreational cannabis” mean? 

The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act  was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in June of last year. The law went into effect at the beginning of 2020. This act legalized recreational cannabis and regulates the sale, transport and possession of the product, with added measures for medicinal uses. 

It is not legal to grow weed for recreational use inside your home. It is not legal to smoke, vape, or ingest marijuana in a public setting, and most definitely not in an area that has already been designated as a tobacco-free area. 

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The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act  was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in June of last year. The law went into effect at the beginning of 2020. With legalization of weed came regulation for the sale, transport and possession of the product, with added measures for medicinal uses. 

CRTA on Possession

Illinois residents who are 21 or older can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, 500 mg of cannabis-infused product, OR up to 5 grams of concentrated cannabis. 

Non-residents can buy but will only be able to possess up to half of what residents can have and cannot bring the product out of state.

CRTA on Sale and Transportation

Individuals are not allowed to sell cannabis, nor are unlicensed businesses. Licensed dispensaries are the only place recreational users of cannabis are able to obtain cannabis. The application fee alone is a non-refundable 5 thousand dollars, according to illinoispolicy.org. 

 A license is required, like the sale of cannabis, in order to transport cannabis in quantities larger than the legal possession amounts.

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CRTA on Growing Your Own

CRTA only permits medical marijuana patients to be able to grow marijuana, up to five plants. Recreational users cannot grow in their own homes and, according to FindLaw, can be punishable by a civil penalty if caught. 

CRTA allows over 700,000 records to be expunged and Pritzker pardoned over 11,000 “low-level” marijuana convictions, meaning if the possession was within what is now the legal limit to possess. 

See more: Nipping it in the bud SIU does not plan to change policies regarding marijuana use

Reporter Juniper Oxford can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter at @JuniperOxford.

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