Despite Illinois becoming the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana use and sale, residents won’t be looking forward to being able to use the drug in public.
Marijuana will become legal for residents age 21 or older beginning January 1, 2020, but consumption in public places will still be prohibited. Consumption will be allowed at private residences.
Governor JB Pritzker signed the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (CRTA) into law this week and State Representative Kelly Cassidy championed the bill in the legislature before Governor Pritzker signed it into law.
According to Cassidy, over 750,000 Illinois residents already admit to using marijuana illegally every month.
“I think the biggest misconception is this idea that people are gonna wake up and decide they want to consume a product that’s been pretty readily available to them for years. It just doesn’t happen that way,” Cassidy said.
