Illinois becomes 11th state to allow recreational marijuana

[TexasTowelie]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois’ new governor delivered on a top campaign promise Tuesday by signing legislation making the state the 11th to approve marijuana for recreational use in a program offering legal remedies and economic benefits to minorities whose lives critics say were damaged by a wayward war on drugs.

Legalization in Illinois also means that nearly 800,000 people with criminal records for purchasing or possessing 30 grams of marijuana or less may have those records expunged, a provision minority lawmakers and interest groups demanded. It also gives cannabis-vendor preference to minority owners and promises 25% of tax revenue from marijuana sales to redevelop impoverished communities.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whose election last year gave Democrats complete control over state government again after four years under GOP predecessor Bruce Rauner, signed the bill in Chicago amid a bevy of pot proponents, including the plan’s lead sponsors, Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Sen. Heather Steans, both Chicago Democrats.

“Today, we’re hitting the ‘reset’ button on the war on drugs,” Cassidy said.

Read more: https://www.apnews.com/7b793d88f3c84417b83db0f770854960

[mr_lebowski]

1. Well ... HELL YEAH! This is great news. Let people out of jails next, please (nt)

[TexasTowelie]

2. I hope to be on a roll posting good news tonight.

It's very much needed during these times.

[mr_lebowski]

3. You mostly post good news mate ... cheating assholes getting what's coming to 'em

I read lots of your stories, FYI. Keep up the good work

[frazzled]

4. And the first (I think) to legislatively address minority issues comprehensively

The marketplace portion of the Illinois law addresses what critics have said is the decadeslong war on drugs’s disproportionate impact on communities of color.

In addition to providing criminal-record scrubbing for past low-level offenders, the law gives preference to would-be marijuana vendors in areas of high poverty and with records of large numbers of convictions. And portions tax proceeds must be reinvested in impoverished communities.

Our governor is really getting down in the weeds (pun intended) with progressive legislation. This is not just about legalizing pot: it is an attempt to rebalance social inequities.