Proposal would make marijuana legal in state

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State lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would end marijuana prohibition in Illinois and establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed for adult use.

The Senate bill, SB 316, is sponsored by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Heather Steans, D-Chicago, while the House version, HB 2353, was presented by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago. Each would make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess, grow, and purchase limited amounts of marijuana.

The state would license and regulate businesses to cultivate, process, test, and sell marijuana to adults, and it would create and enforce strict health and safety regulations, such as testing and labeling requirements and restrictions on marketing.