Illinois Cannabis Law Uniformity Bill Goes To Governor

For those caught with even a small amount of possession of marijuana, they face a myriad of Illinois laws that gave little to no uniformity, or even satisfaction, unless one was simply lucky. Confronting this dilemma for over a year has been State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) who has long felt that these laws were often based on irrelevant factors, and subsequently put her full legislative weight to change them. And, on Wednesday, her efforts paid off with House approval of a Senate bill doing just that; SB 2228 passed the House with a vote of 62-53. Having passed the Senate on April 19th with a vote of 40-14, the bill is now headed to Governor Bruce Rauner..

In a statement, from her office, Cassidy said, “illinois currently has over 200 local ordinances applying to cannabis possession.” and “The difference between arrest and a ticket is completely arbitrary, and too often has been based on what you look like and where you live. This law provides a uniform standard ensuring fair and appropriate penalties.”

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