Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) released his proposal to legalize REC. He said the state would have “the most equity-centric law in the nation.” The proposal could expunge an estimated 800,000 low-level convictions.
Chicago Tribune
However, the bill has encountered headwinds:
- Police oppose the bill, but want a larger cut of the proceeds if it passes.
Chicago Tribune - A poll by anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana found only two in five Illinoisans support legalization.
Chicago Sun-Times - Illinois would be the first state to legalize by statute, meaning it has written the law ahead of it passing. The bill is 522 pages long.
Crain’s Chicago Business - State House Speaker Mike Madigan (D) said “passage is not guaranteed today.”
Capitol News Illinois - Chicago’s pot companies can struggle to find landlords.
Chicago Tribune - Gov. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, ran on legalizing REC. His cousin Joseph “Joby” Pritzker runs the cannabis investment vehicle Tao Capital.
In Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers oppose MED legalization.
AP
Quick Hits
- Oklahoma MED sales notched their seventh straight month of growth.
AP - Cannabis companies see green in “opportunity zones,” a federal program designed to encourage business in depressed areas.
Cannabis Wire - REC legalization continues to be a hard fight in New Jersey.
NJBiz
