Contributor: PATRICK CRAWFORD
January 1st of 2020 brought about something that just a short time before, no one thought they would see: HB1438. This statute allows residents of Illinois, that are at least 21 years old, to buy recreational cannabis (more commonly called marijuana) legally from licensed dispensaries.
There were so many people who were on board with this that the state ran out of recreational marijuana to sell in many locations when the dispensaries first opened for recreational sales. Plus, the state brought in a whopping $11 million during that first week. The people of Illinois have taken to this new law well, but it is still incredibly important that everyone be aware of what the law says about how much you can have and where you can have it.
Let’s Start with the Basics – How Much Can You Legally Buy?
If you live in Illinois and are at least 21 years old, then you can go into a recreational cannabis dispensary and purchase up to 30g of the marijuana flower. This is approximately one ounce of weed. You need to be able to show some type of photo ID to prove age and residence, so make sure you have that with you. Anything over 30g of marijuana is illegal, and if the authorities find more than 30g on you, you can expect to be arrested.
If you do not want to smoke flower, then you may opt for a concentrate, a tincture, or hashish to get the same effect. If that is the case, you can legally possess 5g of any concentrate that contains cannabis. For those who prefer edibles, vaping products, or even patches that you can wear, you also have a limit. You cannot possess more than 500mg of THC in any combination of products.
For those that would like to have all three, there is good news. The amounts are cumulative, which means that you can have up to 30g of marijuana flower, plus 5g of marijuana concentrate, plus 500mg of THC-infused products. It is not picking one of the three. Instead, it allows you to have all options. Just make sure you keep track of your limits.
It is also worth noting that while you do have to provide your ID to buy recreational weed in Illinois, your information is not being stored. It is simply being used to determine if you are a resident or not, and verify that you are old enough to purchase the marijuana – nothing more. That way, the salesperson at the licensed dispensary knows if the sale can happen, and how much to legally sell. No dispensaries in Illinois are allowed to keep identifying information about recreational marijuana purchases.
What if You Do Not Live in Illinois, but Are Passing Through, or Want to Travel There for Cannabis Tourism?
- 15g of marijuana flower
- 2.5g of any type of cannabis concentrate
- 250mg of THC in any combination of other products
Where is Smoking Pot Allowed or Not Allowed?
Some dispensaries will have attached smoke rooms for you to be able to enjoy your marijuana purchase. This is up to the individual dispensary, and the town that the dispensary is in. Each municipality gets to determine whether or not dispensaries are allowed. They also choose if smoking is allowed in them, as well.
However, not all dispensaries will have this luxury. Make sure to keep in mind if you smoked inside, you cannot go out and drive yourself home. Make sure there is someone that can drive you home, so you do not get a DWI in Illinois for marijuana use.
If the dispensary you go to does not have a smoke room, you will have to go out and find someplace where it is legal to smoke. When transporting your marijuana to this location, make sure it goes into a sealed container that is also child-resistant and odor-proof. It should also not be accessible by the driver.
There are several locations you can go to enjoy your legal weed. Some of these places include outside on private properties and inside personal homes. However, some limitations go with that, as well. Even if you are in someone’s private home, you cannot smoke if you are anywhere near:
- Any person that is under 21 years old
- Any person that is on-duty as a public servant, such as a police or corrections officer, firefighter, or school bus driver
You also cannot ever smoke up if you are in a motor vehicle. This could delay the reaction speed of the driver, even if he or she was not partaking in any of the fun, so it simply cannot be done. You are not allowed to smoke on any public property, such as at a local park, walking down the street, or in the parking lot of a store. Since traditional smoking is illegal in public locations already in Illinois, cannabis users need to follow those same restrictions.
Landlords and employers have the right to decide if you can enjoy recreational marijuana to some degree. A landlord can decide if he or she wants to allow smoking in their rental units. If they do not want any smoking done inside, it must be done outside, but while still on the property. As long as it is not done by anyone that it would be illegal around, it is considered fine.
Employers also get to decide if marijuana use is allowable when off-duty or not. Some employers will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy, while others may allow it, while a person is not at work. It is up to each user to find out directly from the employer to know for sure.
Did Growing Marijuana in Illinois Become Legal, Too?
Where to Buy Marijuana in Illinois
At first, only a dispensary that was open and licensed to sell medical marijuana can request licensing to sell recreational cannabis in Illinois. However, the plan is for Illinois to have nearly 300 recreational dispensaries by 2022. Each county and individual municipality will vote to decide on whether or not they will open dispensaries in the area or not, and if they do, what the specific taxes will be for any pot sold out of the retail locations will be determined at that time, as well.
Wrapping Things Up
There are dozens of strains you can legally buy in Illinois, each with different effects. Enjoy some that will give you energy, some that will help you relax, or some that will help manage chronic pain. You can even go out and try strains that have different combinations of effects (such as focus first, but improved sleep later). No matter what benefits you get out of recreational marijuana, you can now legally enjoy it in Illinois once you reach your 21st birthday.
If you want to find out where to buy the best recreational cannabis in Illinois, then check out more at ChicagoCannabisReviews.com. You can find out what strains are available, where to find them, what they tasted and smelled like, and even the effects that they had. Narrow down the strain you want most by comparing reviews written by people from Illinois who have tried out the different strains first-hand.
