Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation to permit adults to legally possess and cultivate personal use amounts of marijuana.
Senate Bill 753 amends the criminal code to remove criminal and civil penalties specific to the possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis and/or the cultivation of up to five plants by those age 21 or older.
According to 2010 analysis of marijuana arrest data, Illinois police arrest some 50,000 individuals annually for simple marijuana possession offenses. Illinois ranks #5 in the nation in per capita marijuana possession arrests. Those arrested are disproportionately people of color. For example, in Chicago, some 95 percent of those arrested for marijuana possession are either Black or Hispanic.
For more information on this or other pending legislation, please contact Illinois NORML or follow them on Facebook.
Enter your zip code below to contact your member of the Illinois Senate and urge him/her to support Senate Bill 753. Separate legislation seeking to regulate the commercial production and retail sale of cannabis, HB 4276, is also pending.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
