3 Things to Remember About Illinois’ New Recreational Marijuana Laws

Last May, the state of Illinois became the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The new law went into effect on January 1, 2020. According to dispensaries across the state, there has been more than $5.5 million worth of recreational marijuana sold since it has been legal. Even though recreational cannabis has been legalized in Illinois, there are still certain laws that apply to marijuana usage. If these laws are broken -- even unintentionally -- you could face legal consequences. Here are a few things you should keep in mind about recreational marijuana usage in Illinois:

1. You Can Only Possess Certain Amounts of Pot at Any Given Time

As long as you are over the age of 21, you can legally purchase and possess certain amounts of marijuana and cannabis-infused products. At any given time, you can legally possess up to one ounce or up to 30 grams of dry marijuana flower, up to 500mg of THC contained in edibles or other cannabis-infused products, and up to five grams of cannabis concentrate. Visitors to Illinois are permitted to possess half of those amounts.

2. There Are Limitations On Where You Can Consume Marijuana

Even though consuming recreational marijuana is now legal in Illinois, you cannot just use it anywhere. There are many places that you cannot use marijuana -- in fact, it is still illegal to use marijuana in most public places. Some marijuana dispensaries allow customers to consume the product on-site, but it is up to the individual business and municipality to allow that. In addition, it is illegal to use marijuana on school grounds (unless you are a medical marijuana user), near a person who is under the age of 21, or near an on-duty police officer or a firefighter.

3. You Have to Purchase Recreational Marijuana From Certain Places

For years, the purchase of marijuana was mainly done in secret and with as little evidence as possible. This was because the purchase and use of marijuana was illegal. Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Illinois, there are certain places from which you must purchase the weed for it to be considered legal. As of right now, only medical marijuana dispensaries are licensed to sell recreational marijuana, although other sellers will have the opportunity to become licensed starting within the first few months of 2020.

Contact an Arlington Heights, IL Criminal Defense Lawyer

Although recreational marijuana is now legal in Illinois, there are rules and regulations that still pertain to the purchase, use, and possession of the substance. If you have been accused of improper usage or possession of marijuana or any other controlled substance, you should discuss your case with a skilled Rolling Meadows, IL drug crimes defense attorney. Scott F. Anderson, Attorney at Law knows how a drug charge can affect you personally and professionally for the rest of your life. Call our office today at 847-253-3400 to schedule a free consultation.

Source:

https://abc7chicago.com/politics/weed-legalization-guide/5337346/