Full Illinois Senate Passes Measure to Decriminalize Cannabis
The Illinois Senate has voted 37 to 19 to approve legislation that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis.
The measure, which passed the House of Representatives last month with a 63 to 53 vote, would remove the possibility of criminal charges for the possession of up to 15 grams of cannabis, reducing the offense to a civil infraction (ticket) of no more than $125. Under current Illinois law, the possession of any amount of cannabis can result in a misdemeanor charge with a potential year-long jail sentence.
Although the measure has already passed the House and Senate, proponents plan on working out kinks in the language before sending it to Governor Bruce Rauner for consideration.
The full text of House Bill 218 can be found by clicking here.
– TheJointBlog
Jordan
Glad to see they’re taking steps in the right direction! Hopefully more states will follow Illinois so people who need cannabis can have access to it, and there are less unnecessary arrests being made. Thanks so much for sharing this!