Thoughts from the void: Cannabis and Illinois

Illinois became the 11th US state after Colorado, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Washington and Vermont to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use when it made the changes to state cannabis laws in May 2019. The first recreational sales actually began only in January 2020. In the space of three months more than $110 million of sales has happened of various cannabis products through recreational outlets. These changes were imminent once Governor J B Priztker took over in 2019. In his inaugural address itself the new governor spoke about the legalization that had happened in Michigan and vowed to legalize cannabis in the interests of keeping public safe from harm, for economic inclusion and for bringing about true justice in the criminal justice system. Unlike New York and New Jersey, Illinois' new governor walked the talk. In addition to Vermont, Illinois is another state in which measures allowing the non-medical use of cannabis were passed through the state legislature rather than through voters’ initiatives, as was the case in the other states that have legalized the nonmedical use of cannabis.

The push for adult use legalization had been building momentum in recent times with medical cannabis legalization providing impetus. The ongoing opioid epidemic proved to be a catalyst as well. In 2016, almost 2000 deaths were reported in the state from opioids and in 2018 an estimated 72,000 people died nationwide prompting the US government to declare a national epidemic. A new law was passed in Illinois based on which a physician could qualify a patient for medical cannabis if the patient had previously been prescribed opioids like OxyContin, Percocet or Vicodin. The statewide harm from the prohibition of natural cannabis and the free availability of synthetic cannabinoids was highlighted in a study by the University of Illinois at Chicago which revealed rat poison in synthetic cannabinoids such as Spice.

There were an estimated registered 42,000 medical cannabis patients last year in Illinois amid growing concerns that many more were buying untested cannabis from the black market and thus funding drug cartels and street gangs. Last year, PTSD overtook cancer and fibromyalgia as the leading condition for which medical cannabis was being used. Patient enrollment grew by 66% in 2018 and is expected to grow more with new laws that encourage patients to opt for medical cannabis in place of opioids. According to Tom Angell's article in Forbes, 'A study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois determined last month that legalizing marijuana would create 24,000 jobs, generate more than $500 million in tax revenue and infuse roughly $1 billion into the state economy overall by 2020.'

Chicago based Cresco Labs attracted $100 million in funds from institutional investors, a notable milestone for cannabis financing which until that point had mainly relied on funds from high net worth individuals and family businesses.

Illinois is expecting revenue from primarily cannabis licenses and the plan is to use a significant chunk of these revenues to support growing and retail businesses in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

Southern Illinois University joined a growing number of major universities to set up programs for research on hemp and cannabis. It is entering into agreements with a cannabis cultivation operation to meet its research needs.

It is not that the journey to recreational cannabis legalization has been hurdle free. The movement has faced opposition from many quarters including opposition from the state's bishops. Hopefully the worst is behind for Illinois in terms of the harm done to the cannabis plant and the persons who believe in it. Hopefully this will be one of the firm steps taken that helps bring about world wide legalization of recreational cannabis and the ending of suffering to the plant and its people. Expungement of past criminal records for cannabis offenses is one of the key initiatives being undertaken currently to wipe the slate clean of this discriminatory law and the injustices meted out in its name.

At least 35 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use so far. The federal US government however continues to keep cannabis in the Schedule 1 list of banned substances saying that it has no medicinal value. The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here. All these states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, aimed specifically at improving public health, ensuring equity, reducing crime, decreasing the black market, improving law enforcement, reforming criminal justice, improving the economy, agriculture and industry, to name just a few reasons.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'Foxx said her office plans to work with Code for America to identify misdemeanor pot cases in Cook County. While she could not yet provide an exact figure, she estimated that thousands of convictions could be wiped out.

“The question is, how far back can we go? How far back does the data go — which will give us what our universe looks like? But we’re in the process of figuring that out,” added Foxx, who said she also intends to work with state officials to determine whether her office can file petitions for expungement on behalf of people with minor pot convictions.'
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/legal-marijuana-kim-foxx-expungement-sales/

'Illinois awarded its first licenses to businesses that can sell recreational cannabis when it becomes legal in the state next year.

State regulators announced the five medical marijuana dispensaries where residents will be able to buy small amounts of recreational marijuana products starting Jan. 1.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/illinois-licenses-first-five-adult-use-marijuana-retailers/

'Since selling weed is still illegal on a national level, cannabis companies can get federal trademarks on some — but not all — parts of their business. They can’t trademark the marijuana itself, including the wacky and easy-to-remember names that companies have given to various strains, like Alien Bubba, Candyland and Granola Funk.'
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-chicago-cannabis-trademarks-20190829-rl5pigwcavavjcwfefpv3op22e-story.html

'The sustainability requirements of the new law are among the strictest in the country, according to Sam Milton, a consultant for Climate Resources Group, which helps businesses pursue sustainable practices.

“It definitely puts Illinois at or near the top in terms of state policies for energy and environmental performance for cultivation facilities,” Milton told the Belleville News-Democrat.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/illinois-restricts-marijuana-electricity-and-water-use/

'With new approaches being tried in Illinois, observers are hopeful the state could act as a true blueprint for social equity progress in the cannabis industry, avoiding some of the pitfalls seen in other states and cities. They also know it could take some time.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/will-illinois-change-the-social-equity-landscape-for-the-marijuana-industry/

'In addition to Vermont, Illinois is another state in which measures allowing the non-medical use of cannabis were passed through the state legislature rather than through voters’ initiatives, as was the case in the other states that have legalized the nonmedical use of cannabis. In May 2019, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, which was signed by the state Governor in June. The sale of cannabis for non-medical use began on 1 January 2020. Under the law, adults aged 21 and older are allowed to purchase and possess up to 30 g of cannabis flower, edibles with a maximum of 500 mg of THC, or 5 g of cannabis concentrates. Non-residents of Illinois will be allowed to purchase half of those amounts. As in some other states, individual cities, villages and municipalities have the option to decide whether to allow the non-medical use of cannabis in their jurisdictions by passing ordinances. Nonetheless, local governments may neither prohibit home cultivation of cannabis nor “unreasonably prohibit” its non-medical use.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf

'The Illinois Department of Revenue took in about $35 million in revenue from excise taxes as well as $18 million in sales taxes that are being shared with local jurisdictions. The administration estimates that about $26 million will go to the state’s general fund.

“I’m proud to work with Governor Pritzker in creating equity in the cannabis industry in a way that no other state has done,” Toi Hutchinson, the state’s cannabis czar, said. “By expunging hundreds of thousands of cannabis-related records, reinvesting the money spent on adult-use cannabis in Illinois into communities that are suffering, and making equity a central focus of the cannabis licensure process, the administration is ensuring that no community is left out or left behind.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/illinois-collects-52-million-in-marijuana-tax-revenue-in-first-six-months-of-legal-sales/

'In Colorado, marijuana shops sold more than $192 million in May, according to Denver alt-weekly Westword. That’s up from $148 million the month prior.

In Illinois, the state’s cannabis stores sold $47.6 million worth of marijuana in June, another record for the nascent recreational cannabis market, according to the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights. That was up from a high of $44 million in May.

In Oregon, marijuana sales totals hit $103 million in May, topping the $100 million mark for the first time, the Portland Business Journal reported.

Then the state set a record in June, reaching just over $100 million'
https://mjbizdaily.com/multiple-states-continue-to-post-record-breaking-cannabis-sales-numbers/

'Illinois raked in about $35 million in legal marijuana sales in February, the state’s Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced on Wednesday.

During the 29-day period, more than 831,000 cannabis products were sold at dispensaries throughout the Prairie State.

That’s a slight dip in sales compared to the nearly $40 million haul in January, the first month that the state’s marijuana market went online. On the first day of sales alone—which saw Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) as one of the first buyers—Illinois shops sold more than $3.1 million in cannabis. But the dip in February is to be expected, and the still-strong sales report indicates that the demand for marijuana products is robust.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/illinois-sold-almost-35-million-of-marijuana-in-second-month-of-legal-sales/

'As more and more markets across the United States have legalized marijuana sales, experienced cannabis retailers have come to expect certain speed bumps on launch day.

That scenario played out on Jan. 1 in Illinois, where hundreds of people stood in line – some overnight – for the kickoff of recreational marijuana sales in that state.

Though business owners did everything in their power to keep eager consumers upbeat, problems did arise.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/illinois-recreational-cannabis-first-day-business-takeaways/

'According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order extending the license application deadline from March 30 to April 30 for:

40 cannabis infusers that manufacture edibles and other products.
40 small-scale marijuana growers.
An unspecified number of transporters.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/illinois-extends-adult-use-marijuana-licensing-process/

'Illinois dispensaries have sold nearly $110 million in recreational marijuana since the drug was fully legalized in January.

In March, pot shops sold 812,203 individual pot products totaling $35.9 million, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced Thursday. The bulk of that weed, over $27 million, was sold to Illinois residents.'
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/4/2/21204617/illinois-recreational-pot-marijuana-sales-march

'After unseating Rauner in the 2018 election, Pritzker championed new legislation introduced by Steans, Cassidy and other pro-pot lawmakers that sought to make the state’s nascent cannabis industry an inclusive engine for social change. In June, just over six months after taking office, he fully legalized weed statewide with the stroke of a pen.'
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/3/27/21194174/how-recreational-weed-illegal-essential-illinois-coronavirus

'In the middle of a global pandemic and one of the worst unemployment crises in American history, Illinois marijuana retailers saw their busiest month on record in June, racking up more than $47.6 million in total sales.

No matter how you slice the data, released by the state on Tuesday, recreational cannabis sales last month shattered existing records in the state, which began legal sales to adults on January 1 of this year. Stores in Illinois sold nearly a million (994,545) cannabis items in June—5,000 more than any previous month—and brought in record sums from in-state residents ($35.3 million) and out-of-state visitors ($12.4 million) alike.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/illinois-saw-record-breaking-marijuana-sales-in-june-including-from-out-of-state-visitors/