The legalization of marijuana reached another landmark this afternoon, as Illinois has become the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of cannabis in the United States of America.

Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill that permits residents to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis at a time while non-residents are limited to 15 grams, while it’s been additionally noted that 800,000 people with criminal records for marijuana may have those records expunged. Meanwhile, dispensaries will be allowed to start selling recreational marijuana on January 1st, 2020, while it’s been estimated that overall the taxation of marijuana could generate $800 million to $1 billion a year.

Thus far, ten other states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana since 2012, though Illinois is being credited as the first state to implement the nation’s first comprehensive cannabis marketplace that’s designed by legislators.

 

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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94 _____________________________________ #Illinois has now become the 11th state to officially legalize marijuana. The news was announced Tuesday after the state’s new Democratic governor signed a bill legalizing its use. _____________________________________ According to @abcnews, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law, which legalized and regulated the production of marijuana on May 31st after Governor #JBPritzker campaigned about it. The legalization will officially go into effect on January 1, 2020. _____________________________________ Governor Pritzker said in a statement,“Legalizing adult-use cannabis brings an important and overdue change to our state, and it’s the right thing to do. This legislation will clear the cannabis-related records of nonviolent offenders through an efficient combination of automatic expungement, gubernatorial pardon, and individual court action.” Illinois now joins—read more at TheShadeRoom.com (📸: @gettyimages)

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