ILLINOIS (WAND) – Legalized marijuana could be coming in 2019, an Illinois lawmaker said in a radio interview.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) told the RFD Radio Network that a “methodical and deliberate” push to introduce a bill is heating up after about 1 ½ years of talks in public hearings and conversations with stakeholders. She says support to legalize the plant has been "overwhelming", with polls showing about two-thirds of Illinoisans in favor.
Cassidy argued on the program that people are buying marijuana from “unregulated” street dealers and therefore “funding cartels and street gangs”. She says legalizing marijuana, along with expanding medical marijuana in Illinois, would combat that issue.
After the new Illinois legislature is sworn into office in January, Cassidy says lawmakers will be “ready to go” and push the bill forward. Exact details of what it include are unknown, but she says lawmakers have talked with J.B. Pritzker’s team to ensure their bill matches his vision.
Pritzker’s campaign for governor placed a heavy emphasis on legalizing recreational marijuana.
