Illinois is close to legalizing recreational marijuana. Here's what that means for Indiana.

Dwight Adams 

 

Indiana could soon have another next-door neighbor which allows recreational marijuana use.

Illinois is on the verge of legalizing marijuana with major new legislation that also would expunge criminal records of people with minor pot possession convictions.

The Illinois legislature gave final approval to the bill on Friday, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he will sign the legislation.

If he does so, Illinois would follow in the footsteps of Michigan, where the legal  recreational use of marijuana began in December 2018 after voters OK'd a ballot measure. Neither Kentucky nor Indiana allow marijuana use within their borders.

Here's what we know about Illinois' pending recreational marijuana law and what it could mean for Hoosiers.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker answers questions during a news conference in the governor's office at the state Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Pritzker says he has "no concerns at all" about a media report that federal authorities are investigating a property tax break he got by taking toilets out of a Chicago mansion he owns.

Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

When will marijuana be legal in Illinois?

Pritzker's office has not yet given a timeframe for when he might sign the law.

If the bill is signed, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. At that point, adult consumers aged 21 or older would then be able to buy marijuana for recreational use from licensed sellers.

Marijuana expansion: Illinois posed to legalize marijuana sales, expunge criminal records for pot crimes

What would be the weed amounts allowed in Illinois?

Under the law, adults could buy and possess up to 30 grams of raw cannabis and 5 grams of cannabis products in concentrated form, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which worked with Illinois lawmakers to write the legislation.

Also legal to buy would be cannabis-infused products, such as edibles or tinctures, that contain no more than 500 milligrams of THC, the chemical that makes users "high."

Visitors to Illinois could buy half of those amounts.

A person holds a cannabis leaf in a field of marijuana.

Getty Images

Will there be marijuana dispensaries in Illinois?

Yes. Licensed dispensaries will be the only place where you can legally buy recreational marijuana when the law goes into effect.

Illinois, which began selling medical marijuana in 2015, now has 55 such dispensaries.

Those dispensaries can apply to sell pot for recreational use, too, and the new law also would allow them to open a second location for that purpose.

According to The Chicago Tribune, those dispensaries are already planning building expansions, staffing increases and new technology to handle the recreational marijuana customers as well as an expected increase in medical marijuana sales.

Ohio's law: Medical marijuana is now legal in Ohio. Here's what it means for Indiana.

What are the recreational weed states?

There are now 10 states that allow the recreational use of marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Vermont and Washington, along with the District of Columbia. Illinois would be the 11th state to do so.

More than 30 states, including Illinois and Ohio, allow the use of medical marijuana.

Amy Andrle of L'Eagle Dispensary in Denver shows off marijuana that's been "clean green certified," which is the cannabis industry's internal certification for organic growing procedures, which are otherwise not recognized by the federal government.

Trevor Hughes, Trevor Hughes-USA TODAY NETWORK

Where could you legally use recreational weed in Illinois?

Under the new law, people will be able to smoke or consume edibles in one’s own home as well as in certain cannabis-related businesses.

However, marijuana use will be prohibited in these places:

• Any public place, including streets or parks.
• In motor vehicles.
• Near someone under 21.
• On school grounds, except for medical marijuana users.

Its use also could be prohibited on private property.

Beware: CBD flower is legal in Indiana. But it still could get you arrested. Here's why.

What is Indiana's stance on marijuana?

It is illegal to possess marijuana in any form in Indiana. Possession of less than 30 grams is a misdemeanor offense, and more than 30 grams is a felony.

In March of 2018, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a measure legalizing low-THC cannabidiol oil, known as CBD oil, in Indiana. This year, Holcomb signed into law another measure which sets up a regulatory structure for hemp, including an advisory committee that will report back to state officials for a period of about two years.

However, efforts to legalize marijuana for any use have failed in the Indiana General Assembly in recent years.

Cannabinoid product: What we know about CBD oil and how it can be legally used in Indiana

Can I bring marijuana from another state to Indiana?

Even if you purchase it legally in Colorado, Michigan or any other state that has legalized marijuana, you cannot bring it here. Buying it legally somewhere else does not make it legal to possess in Indiana.

Michigan's marijuana law: Recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan. Here's what it means for Indiana.

Can I use marijuana in another state and drive back to Indiana?

It's not advisable. It will still be illegal to drive under the influence of cannabis in Michigan or Indiana or Illinois — when that state's law takes effect.

You may think that you're no longer high, but even a trace amount of THC, the hallucinogenic ingredient, may show up in a blood test for up to a few weeks after use.

If an officer in Indiana suspects you may be driving while impaired, even if under a substance other than alcohol, he can request a blood test. If you refuse, you could be held "for a reasonable amount of time" until the investigating officer can get a search warrant to obtain that blood sample, according to Capt. David Bursten of the Indiana State Police.

Hemp in Indiana: Bill legalizing hemp growth and sales in Indiana clears final hurdle, heads to governor

What does the federal government say about marijuana?

Despite what a state may allow, it's still illegal to possess marijuana, even for medical use, under the federal Controlled Substances Act passed in 1970.