A key supporter of an initiative to legalize adult recreational marijuana in Illinois said substantial bill language will be filed soon, and the issue could be one of the first discussed by state lawmakers when they return to the Statehouse from their two-week spring break next week.

 

In a recent interview for the Capitol News Illinois, state Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat, said she hoped to file substantial adult use language “by the end of April or very early May, if not (Tuesday) April 30. ... Very soon, when we are done with the two-week break here.

 

Illinois legalized marijuana use for certain medical conditions under a pilot program enacted in 2013. Three years later, lawmakers decriminalized possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana – about one-third of an ounce – lowering the offense from a misdemeanor to a civil offense that carries a $100 to $200 fine.

 

Now, with support from Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, many lawmakers want to legalize it for adults entirely under state law, even though it remains a criminal offense under federal law. Pritzker’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes $170 million in new revenue from licensing cultivators and dispensaries.

 

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