Weed in the Land of Lincoln: Legal Cannabis Comes to Illinois Jan. 1
Illinois’ cannabis legalization law is set to go into effect in January and will usher in what proponents hope is the most socially just legalization framework in the nation.
“We’ve spent decades decimating communities and destroying lives with the war on drugs,” said State Representative Kelly Cassidy. “For us it was really more about equity and ensuring that we are repairing harm.”
The state’s law allocates resources to minority communities and areas of the state that have been impacted the most by past crackdowns on marijuana. It also attempts to reduce the barrier to entry for entrepreneurs in hopes Illinois can lead the charge toward a more equitable cannabis industry, by giving them a leg up to compete for 75 licenses the state will begin to issue in May.
“This industry has the potential to be a generational wealth-building opportunity,” said Brian Scruggs, an entrepreneur in the sector.
Yet it remains to be seen if Illinois’ law will allow affected communities to capture a share of the cannabis wealth, and if it can, as Cassidy put it, address the “buffet of problems” associated with marijuana justice.
This photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet in flight, July 17, 2019, after refueling over the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Brisbane, Australia. Boeing announced Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, that it expects to end production of the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet in late 2025 after a final delivery to the U.S. Navy. (Senior Airman Elora J. Martinez/U.S. Air Force via AP, File)
The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge ticked higher in January, a sign that price pressures remain entrenched in the U.S. economy and could lead the Fed to keep raising interest rates well into this year.
