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Addison

Independent

VOL. 17 • NO. 2

FOR THE ADDISON INDEPENDENT

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, Illinois state law will allow for the possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana per Illinois resident ages 21 and over to be used recreationally. Residents will also be able to possess up to five grams of cannabis concentrate and 500 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol—or THC – contained in a cannabis-infused product. Non-residents can possess half those amounts. Registered medical marijuana patients will be allowed to grow up to five cannabis plants in their home and possess more than 30 grams of marijuana if it is grown and secured in their residence. (That’s right, medical patients can grow it at their home, not recreational users.) History of marijuana in Illinois Illinois legalized marijuana use for certain medical conditions under a pilot program enacted in 2013. Three years later, lawmakers decriminalized possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana—about onethird of an ounce—lowering the offense from a misdemeanor to a civil offense that carries a $100 to $200 fine. It remains a criminal offense under federal law. The legalization effort made Illinois the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana but the first to pass a comprehensive legalization package through the legislature rather than a ballot initiative. Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker is especially proud of that fact. “As the first state in the nation to fully legalize adult-use cannabis through the legislative process, Illinois exemplifies the best of democracy: a bipartisan and deep commit-

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Ushering in a new era By Dee Longfellow

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ment to better the lives of all of our people,” Pritzker said at a signing ceremony held at the Sankofa Cultural Arts and Business Center in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, near Oak Park. “Legalizing adultuse cannabis brings an important and overdue change to our state, and it’s the right thing to do.” Regulations that affect consumers While marijuana consumption and possession may be legal, there are still restrictions. Illinois lawmakers crafted a comprehensive 610-page regulatory bill with bipartisan support, which includes several conditions. Consumption in public places will still be prohibited and local governments will maintain control as to whether the industry can conduct business within their jurisdictions. Some communities within the Independent readership area have already declined to allow dispensaries. Consumption is allowed at a private residence but prohibited in any public place and in the proximity of a person younger than 21 years of age who is not a licensed medical patient. Landlords can prohibit marijuana use on their premises as well. Anyone operating a car, boat or plane is prohibited from consuming marijuana, although possession is permissible in a motor vehicle if the marijuana product is placed in a secured, sealed container and “reasonably inaccessible” while the vehicle is moving. Consumption and possession are prohibited at corrections facilities and on school grounds unless for licensed medical use. Consumption by a school bus driver, police officer, firefighter or corrections officer is also prohibited while they are on

duty. Consumption is not allowed at any residence that serves as a childcare facility. Local governments maintain authority under the new law as well,

Police Reports...........4 Sports �������������������� 15 Puzzle.................... 10 Classifieds..............12

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THURSDAY, JAN. 2, 2020

As of Jan. 1, recreational marijuana is legal in Illinois

but they cannot ban individual pos- ment’s location within its jurisdicsession of marijuana or marijuana tion. Governments at the local level can products. A unit of government may, however, prohibit or significantly See NEW ERA, Page 2 limit a cannabis business establish-

SUBMITTED PHOTO Addison Independent

Fourth graders deliver the goods

Pictured here is Wesley School Principal Katie Ahart along with two of her students, who organized a collection of students’ handmade cards, letters and pictures, to be distributed to the senior residents at Clarendale. One fourth-grader took the initiative and spoke to Clarendale about bringing the cards in for the residents. One student’s father, who works for Jeep, arranged to have the delivery made by the Chicagoland Christmas Jeep, a vehicle decorated with festive lights (visible through the window behind them).

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1 • Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 - Rock Valley Publishing

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