SPRINGFIELD—Today the House of Representatives voted to legalize recreational cannabis in Illinois. The legislation, House Bill 1438, allows Illinois residents over the age of 21 to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, medical cannabis patients to grow up to 5 plants in their residence, and arrest records to be expunged for convictions of cannabis up to 30 grams.
State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) voted against the measure and released the following statement:
“I cannot support legalizing recreational cannabis because there is still too much unknown. I want more time to understand how this will effect heath, the Illinois job climate, and our business community. This process is rushed and when things move too quickly mistakes happen. I am open to discussing this issue in the future, and I support more research being done to make it more clear what the long term effects would be on our state. I want to make sure that this is the right choice for Illinois. But for today, on behalf of my family and the families across Illinois, I voted no.”
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