We still hold to the view that Wisconsin is a more progressive state than Illinois. But our friends from south of the border are making it harder to dismiss them. Last week, Illinois legislators gave final approval to the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA), a measure that will (with the signature of Gov. J.B. Pritzker) legalize and regulate the use of marijuana by adults in the state. Illinois is now set to become the 11th state in the country to legalize marijuana for adult use. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, Illinois is also the first state to legalize and regulate the sale of cannabis to adults via its legislative process.

“What this also shows, first with Michigan in 2018 and now with Illinois in 2019, is that the heartland states are clearly deciding that the time to end the prohibition on cannabis has come,” says MPP Executive Director Steve Hawkins.