US State Governor Hosts Dispensary Event To Celebrate New Marijuana Law

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) marked recent cannabis legislation with a public ceremony Thursday at SWAY Cannabis Dispensary in Chicago, even though he had already signed the bill into law last month. The measure, SB 3222, doubles the legal possession limit for adults 21 and older to 60 grams of flower and 10 grams of concentrates or infused products containing up to 1,000 mg of THC. Non-resident possession limits are doubled as well. Past convictions for possession up to 60 grams—up from the previous 30-gram threshold—now qualify for expungement. The law also recriminalizes hemp-derived THC products exceeding 0.4 milligrams of THC per container, mirroring an upcoming federal restriction. Those hemp provisions take effect November 12, alongside the federal rule, though sales to anyone under 21 are banned immediately. Other changes include allowing dispensary drive-thrus and curbside pickup, extending hours to 2 a.m., permitting telehealth medical cannabis certifications, and expanding craft cultivator canopy space from 5,000 to 14,000 square feet. The law eases certain security mandates and cuts or waives fees for smaller license holders. All dispensaries can now register to sell medical marijuana, and qualifying conditions expand to include female orgasmic disorder, endometriosis, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. Pritzker said the state paired legalization with expungements, restorative justice funding and what he called the nation's strongest social equity licensing program. "Today, Illinois has the most diverse cannabis industry in America, because we made equity a fundamental part of what we are building. It's not an afterthought, it's central," he said. A new analysis from the Parabola Center for Law and Policy challenges that characterization. Fellow Hedy Yang wrote in an op-ed that "six years in, 264 brands compete on dispensary shelves across the state. But those brands answer to far fewer owners, and a few incumbents capture nearly 79 cents of every dollar in statewide revenue." Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) said the legislation "strengthens consumer protections, expands access for patients, and reinforces our commitment to an equitable cannabis industry where public safety and opportunity go hand in hand." Pritzker signed Illinois's original adult-use legalization law in 2019.