Illinois 11th state to legalize pot

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Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (center) purchases marijuana at Sunnyside dispensary in Chicago on Wednesday. Associated Press/Photo by Paul Beaty

For some Illinois residents, New Year’s resolutions included more drug use. A law legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state took effect Wednesday, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton stood in line with hundreds of others to buy cannabis products.

What does the law say? People at least 21 years old can buy products with marijuana from licensed sellers whether they have a medical marijuana card or not. The law does not allow smoking marijuana while driving, standing in a public place, or near a school bus driver, police officer, firefighter, or corrections officer, but using the drug in homes and in some dispensaries is legal. On Dec. 31, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pardoned 11,000 people for previous marijuana-related crimes.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD Magazine’s 2018 series about the economic and social effects of legalizing marijuana.

Samantha Gobba

Samantha is a freelancer for WORLD Digital. She is a graduate of the World Journalism Institute, holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hillsdale College, and has a multiple-subject teaching credential from California State University. Samantha resides in Chico, Calif., with her husband and their two sons.