Issue Position: Cannabis legalization

Issue Position

In 2013, the State of Illinois took the first step towards legalization of adult use by passing the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program. Signed into law by then Governor Quinn, this law allows patients to legally obtain cannabis for medical purposes once they are certified by a physician as having a qualifying condition for its use. Jump ahead to 2016, when I passed a law that decriminalized 10 grams or less of cannabis to a ticketed offense, which was previously a misdemeanor. In 2018, I introduced an expansion to the medical cannabis program to be an opioid painkiller replacement, known as the opioid alternative pilot program. This new expansion also eased the application process that stopped fingerprinting and background checks for medical patients.

My advocacy around the legalization of adult cannabis has always been centered on the criminal justice and socioeconomic reform legalization will bring. For far too long have individuals of color been marginalized for the use of cannabis while their white counterparts are more unlikely to be arrested and prosecuted for use of the same substance. See the ACLU's Report on this. That is why the adult use bill was centered around reforms for individuals that have been impacted by the war on drugs. The cannabis tax and regulation act gives 25% of the revenue generated from the sale back to disproportionately impacted areas through the Restore, Reinvest and Renewal Program (R3) and gives entrepreneurs access to the Social Equity Cannabis Business Development Loan Fund. Qualifying as an equity applicant also waives half of the licensing fees. The legalization of adult use is not just about taxing and regulating adult use; it is a tool addressing equality, criminal justice reform and economic opportunity.

In May of 2019, Senator Heather Steans and I introduced House Bill 1438 to legalize cannabis effective January 1, 2020. With the support of Governor Pritzker, advocates around the State and my colleagues in both the House and the Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support. Leading up to the passage of legalization Senator Steans and I spent over 2 years traveling the state hosting town halls, hearing from stake holders and advocates around the issue. This bill is a major policy overhaul that not only changes our policy around cannabis to regulate and tax its use, but will help address the inequities created through its prohibition. The new law allows for expungement of low-level cannabis offenses and allows more opportunity into the market by expanding the license categories for entrepreneurs. I encourage you to follow the links on this page to learn more.

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