SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The marijuana legalization bill has passed the Illinois House and is headed to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk.
The bill passed with a 66-47 vote Friday afternoon. Pritzker is expected to sign it and turn it into law.
HB 1438 would make it legal for adults at age 21 or older to buy and possess up to 30 grams of marijuana. Medical patients would be allowed to grow it at home and a regulated marijuana market would be created in Illinois.
Pritzker said the following about the bill's passage:
“The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation. This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance. I applaud bipartisan members of the General Assembly for their vote on this legislation and I especially want to thank the sponsors Senator Steans and Representative Cassidy, as well as Senator Hutchinson, Senator Aquino, Leader Gordon-Booth, Representative Villanueva, the Black and Latino Caucuses, and Senator Barickman and Representative Welter for their tremendous work to make legalization a reality. In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.”
State Rep. Dan Caulkins says HB 1438 is the wrong move for Illinois in a statement:
"Today we saw yet another attack on our conservative family values with the passage of recreational marijuana. Nothing in this bill changes the fact that cannabis is still a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance which remains illegal under federal law. Today’s action makes no sense and it sends the wrong message to our youth. The truth is House Bill 1438 will put more marijuana on our streets and in the hands of young people. There’s no way to accurately test for marijuana impairment and when this bill becomes law, we will see more impaired drivers on our roads threatening the lives and safety of Illinois families."
