Illinois Governor Pardons Thousands of Misdemeanor Marijuana Convictions as Recreational Use is Legalized

*With recreational cannabis use now legal in Illinois as of Jan. 1, 2020, governor J.B. Pritzker announced on Tuesday that he has granted over 11,000 pardons for minor marijuana convictions.

Illinois just became the eleventh state to legalize recreational marijuana, allowing those over 21 years of age to purchase cannabis products at licensed dispensaries.

Pritzker has rolled out what the says is the first of multiple expungement as the state moves to address “the past harms of discriminatory prosecution of drug laws,” per Complex. 

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“We are ending the 50-year-long war on cannabis,” Pritzker said, the Associated Press reports. “We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core.” 

Over 40 recreational marijuana dispensary licenses have been issued in Illinois. Ten are in Chicago, others are in various locations around the state, per msn.com. 

Meanwhile, around 116,000 convictions for 30 grams or less of marijuana are eligible for pardons, and Pritzker noted that clearing these misdemeanor offenses will make it easier for folks to get jobs, housing, and financial aid for school.

“The 11,017 pardons that Gov. Pritzker is granting today are thousands of lives forever changed—and hundreds of thousands more will be changed in the coming months,” said former state senator Toi Hutchinson. “Those who were unfairly targeted by discriminatory drug laws can finally get ahead and build a new future for themselves and their families.” 

Individuals who have been convicted of offenses involving marijuana over 30 grams will also be eligible to file court petitions to clear those records, the report states. 

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