Democratic gubernatorial hopeful J.B. Pritzker wants to legalize marijuana as part of his crime-fighting plan, which he unveiled Thursday at the DuSable Museum of African American History.
“We don’t need more studies on this,” Pritzker said. “We need to act. Let’s legalize marijuana. Let’s regulate it to make it safe. Let’s tax it. Let’s reinvest in the hardest hit communities.”
And he’s not alone in a field of primary challengers. State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, is also on board with legalization, while businessman Chris Kennedy has been a bit more careful with his words, saying he supports decriminalizing marijuana but wants to see more studies done to understand the effects of legalizing the drug.
Either way, victory by any one of those Democratic candidates could mean some big changes for Illinois. A key sponsor of legislation to legalize marijuana said it will be a “longterm” process — meaning proponents would be unlikely to attempt passage until 2019 — when Democrats hope Illinois will see a new governor to replace Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Legalization essentially means adults won’t be arrested, fined or otherwise penalized for recreational marijuana use or possession. Decriminalization is less sweeping. It generally means violators will not be subjected to criminal prosecutions for smaller amounts, often treating it as a civil offense, punishable only by fines — not jail time.
Rauner’s campaign on Thursday wouldn’t comment on his thoughts on legalizing marijuana. But in April, the governor called recreational marijuana “a very, very difficult subject.” He said he wouldn’t support legalizing marijuana unless there’s a study of the “ramifications” in states that have legalized the drug.
credit:420intel.com
