Update 01/04/2020 2:29pm:
The recreational use of marijuana recently became legal in Illinois, and now it has been reported that the state made $3.17 million in sales on the first day.
37 dispensaries opened in Illinois and over 77,128 transactions were made over the course of a day resulting in the $3 million-plus profit. Illinois is the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. A top advisor cannabis control in Illinois—Toi Hutchinson said “The amazing thing about that is that there's a significant portion of these dollars that go directly into this community reinvestment fund, so we can continue to rebuild communities that have been hardest hit by the war on drugs. So sales are great but let's never lose sight on the impact that we're having on families around this state.”
source: CNN
Original 01/01/2020 3:26pm:
Chicago's Governor JB Pritzker pardoned over 11,000 with low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday (December 31), which he said is a first wave of thousands of expungements under the state’s new marijuana legalization law. Clearing the offenses will now make it easier for them to get jobs, housing and financial aid for college. It's estimated that 116,000 convictions are eligible for pardons under the new law.
Pritzker stated, "We are ending the 50-year-long war on cannabis. We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core." You can check out his full statement above.
