July 3, 2019
“One of the things that we wanted to make sure we accomplished with legalization was ensuring we put social equity at the center and the heart of our efforts, acknowledging that while we normalize and legalize something that is happening across the country, that we tie the direct nexus to the communities that the prohibition has hurt the most,” said Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights).
Stories this photo appears in:
Gov. Pritzker Signs Most Equity-Centric Law in Nation to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis
Surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and criminal justice reform advocates, Governor JB Pritzker signed the most equity-centric law in the nation to legalize adult-use cannabis in Illinois, beginning Jan. 1, 2020. House Bill 1438 promotes equity and invests in the communities that suffered through the war on drugs, serving as a model for the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis. “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 commitment to better the lives of all of our people,” said Gov. JB Pritzker