Beginning in early 2020, the state of Illinois legalized the sale, purchase, and use of recreational marijuana, effectively decriminalizing the substance in most situations. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) made it legal for most adults over the age of 21 to consume, sell, or purchase cannabis. The Act also contained important legislation detailing the process and timeframe for expungement, sealing, or pardoning of eligible marijuana-related criminal records. Now more than one year later, nearly 500,000 non-felony marijuana-related arrest records have been expunged. Expungement of your prior cannabis-related arrest records can have a very positive effect on your life. 

Expungements and Pardons

In Illinois, there is usually a pretty strict process with fairly tough requirements when it comes to getting a criminal record expunged or pardoned by the governor. However, with the passing of the CRTA, hundreds of thousands of criminal records became eligible for expungement or pardoning across the state.

For many people, 2020 has been a stressful, never-ending nightmare of a year. One of the most significant and deadliest viruses in modern history, COVID-19, spread like wildfire and continues to rage on in certain parts of the world. Thankfully, there is a light at the end of the 2020 tunnel with a vaccine starting to be administered. Many people use the holiday as an evening to celebrate the going of the past year and to welcome the near year in, but your new year could get off to a troubled start if you do not celebrate your New Year’s responsibly and decide to drink and drive.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the New Year holiday is typically a heavy drinking period, involving increased instances of DUIs and traffic fatalities. In 2018, 39 percent of all traffic fatalities that occurred during the New Year holiday season involved alcohol-impaired driving, compared to 29 percent of all traffic fatalities throughout the year. Illinois DUI charges come with serious consequences, so avoiding a DUI conviction is always the priority. An Illinois DUI defense attorney can help you understand your charges if you have been arrested for DUI in Illinois.

No matter what your feelings are on the subject, the truth of the matter is that more and more states have been legalizing the use and possession of recreational marijuana for adults. Currently, marijuana is still illegal by the standards of the federal government and classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and does not have any medical benefit. However, since states have the ability to create and implement their own laws, there are some states in the country that allow adults to consume and possess marijuana, although there are typically specific laws that must be followed. In Illinois, there are strict laws pertaining to the usage, possession, manufacture, distribution, and transportation of marijuana products in Illinois. Breaking these laws could result in misdemeanor or felony charges, depending on the severity of the criminal offense.

Illinois Marijuana Possession Laws

Recreational marijuana possession only just recently became legal in Illinois. In fact, 2020 was the first year during which adults could legally use cannabis without also possessing a valid medical marijuana ID card. Though it is legal to use, there are limits to how much cannabis or cannabis-based products you may possess at any one time. As long as you are over the age of 21, you are permitted to possess up to:

Across the United States, the process for being legally permitted to own and conceal carry a firearm is different, depending on which state you are a resident of. In Illinois, the process to purchase a firearm as well as the process to obtain a concealed carry license (CCL) can be lengthy and considered a hassle by some, but it has protections in place meant to keep citizens safe. When these processes are not followed or are otherwise violated, you can actually be charged with a crime and face the penalties for it. If you are facing any type of weapons violation, an Illinois criminal defense attorney can build a strong defense on your behalf and in some cases, reduce or eliminate your charges altogether.

Types of Violations

In Illinois, the Firearm Concealed Carry Act is the legislative text that governs the issuance, distribution, revocation, violation enforcement, and use of concealed carry licenses. Here are a few of the main violations regarding CCLs:

One of the most common crimes committed on the roads of Illinois is driving while under the influence (DUI). According to data from the Illinois Secretary of State, there were more than 26,200 drivers arrested for DUI across the state of Illinois in 2019. Being charged with driving while you are impaired can result in serious penalties, such as jail time, driver’s license revocation, and fines. However, certain circumstances can dictate how severe your penalties are, including what your BAC level is. In Illinois, a higher BAC could also mean a more serious sentence. Hiring an Illinois DUI defense lawyer is strongly advised if you are facing any kind of DUI charge.

Illinois DUI Charges and Your BAC

Before you are even arrested, the officer who pulled you over will likely begin to evaluate you to determine if you are intoxicated or impaired in any way. You may be asked to submit to field sobriety tests, which may consist of a walk-and-turn test, one-leg-stand test, or possibly even a preliminary field breathalyzer test. A breathalyzer is an important tool in determining whether or not a person is impaired because it can inform the officer of the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC).