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The 5 Most Important Marijuana Laws in Illinois

Jun 14th 2019

The 5 Most Important Marijuana Laws in Illinois

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The 5 Most Important Cannabis Laws in Illinois

In 2013 medical marijuana was legalized in Illinois. Though legal, possession of personal amounts is punishable through the payment of a fine.

Which of these Illinois Marijuana Laws will have the biggest impact on your life? Get the details below.

1. Illinois Medical Marijuana

The law on medical marijuana in Illinois specifies conditions for the use of medical marijuana for adults. Besides being an adult, one must be diagnosed with one of the forty debilitating chronic conditions.

The individual must take a series of medical tests at the licensed hospitals to prove that s/he hails from chronic diseases.

The Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program provides a list of chronic and terminal illnesses. One’s record of drug felonies and violent crime must be clean.

One has to complete a four-page application letter for them to be issued with the marijuana card. Alongside the lengthy application, a doctor’s certification has to be attached.

The law also requires that you go through a background check followed by the submission of fingerprints. The fingerprint submission is made once in a lifetime.

If the process is successfully completed, then the applicant chooses their cannabis dispensary. One of those that are licensed to sell the drug.

Without forgetting, the law requires that the applicant must pay a $100 application fee for a one year card, $200 and $250 for a two and three-year card respectively.

2. Cultivation of Marijuana in Illinois

Cultivation of Marijuana is only allowed at the specific cultivation centers that are licensed by the State of Illinois.

The state stringently regulates the marijuana cultivation zones. Under this law, there are only twenty-one licenses issued to sixteen operators.

Other than these, any other person cultivating or growing marijuana is committing a criminal offense. However, possession of cannabis seeds is not a reason to charge a person with the crime of cultivation.

The offenses are treated differently depending on the number of plants in possession.

Possession of five or fewer marijuana plants is a Class A offense. This is punishable by a one-year prison sentence.

Possession of 5-20 plants is a felony. This is punished by one to six years prison sentence with an additional $25,000 fine.

Illegal cultivation of 20-50 marijuana plants is punished with ten years imprisonment with a $25,000 fine. The fine is determined by the number of plants as counted by the law enforcement officers.

The federal laws on drug manufacturing apply in Illinois just like any other US state.

According to the law, one can be charged with manufacturing under two conditions. One, if there is evidence of possession. Two, possession with the proof of the intent to manufacture.

Possession of manufacturing and cultivation equipment alone does not sufficiently demonstrate as a cannabis cultivation crime.

3. Personal Amounts of Marijuana in Illinois

Personal amounts of marijuana refer to 10 grams or fewer on any persons in the State of Illinois, also known as the decriminalization of cannabis in Illinois. In July 2016 the State of Illinois decriminalized marijuana, meaning there is now a reduced punishment for under 10 grams of cannabis to a $100–200 fine.

Medical marijuana laws only apply to medical cannabis patients who hold Illinois Medical Marijuana Patient Cards.

To an extent, these laws tramp over the decriminalization of the personal amounts of Marijuana. Use of personal amounts of Marijuana for recreation is prohibited.

However, possession of marijuana paraphernalia is illegal. 10 grams of marijuana paraphernalia is a civil offense punishable by law. This attracts a fine of $100 to $200.

Cases of possession are treated according to the quantity with high amounts attracting heavy fines. The penalties and prison sentences are severe for those handling large quantities of cannabis.

Though legal, personal amounts of marijuana can still land you in trouble if you are not following the most current laws.

4. Marijuana for Recreation in Illinois

On May 31st, the Illinois legislature passed the bills to legalize the use of marijuana in the entire State of Illinois.

The new law, which will come into effect January 1st, will grant Illinois residents over 21 years of age the legal right to possess:

500 milligrams of a THC infused product
5 grams of concentrated cannabis or
30 grams of cannabis

Residents outside of Illinois are still legally able to possess an amount of cannabis not to exceed 15 grams.

To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of Illinois legalizing cannabis, please check out this post:

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Legalizing Marijuana in Illinois

5. Possession of Marijuana in Illinois

The state laws on marijuana possession are stringent in Illinois. Possession laws cut across trafficking, delivery to minors, and handling marijuana in schools.

Delivery of marijuana to a minor is an illegal act. If caught committing the offense one is harshly charged and sentenced to double years of the stated maximum years of imprisonment.

Additionally, possession and delivery of marijuana on school grounds is a grave offense in Illinois. The law states that fines are imposed depending on the amount in grams that the offender is nabbed with. Trafficking offenses are charged in the similar to delivery to minors.

The laws of possession apply to marijuana derivatives, its compounds, and in the different forms that Marijuana exists.

Remember, marijuana is illegal in all its forms. This includes Kief, Hashish, Hash oil, Seeds, infusions for tea and lotions and marijuana extracts.

However, the marijuana stalks, commonly known as hemp, are legal. The hemp fiber or hemp oil is legal and can be cultivated for industrial use.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture issues the licenses to only for industrial cultivation.