Is Illinois Going to Legalize Recreational Marijuana?

Legal marijuana continues to be a hot topic of debate across the U.S., including in Illinois, as the state prepares for a gubernatorial election. Several democratic candidates have endorsed recreational marijuana legalization. One candidate supports full decriminalization.

The opinions these candidates have are not a political risk, they’re a mainstream topic, according to Chicago Tribune. So far, in states that have legalized some form of marijuana, results are refuting the fears of the government (and American people). The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine determined that “substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults”. The upside to these findings is that there are fewer opioid overdoses in states where some form of marijuana is legal.

According to Marijuana Business Daily, “Campaigns are underway in at least five states to legalize either medical or recreational cannabis.”

What’s the reality in all of this? Legal marijuana reduces suffering and saves lives, it doesn’t get any simpler than that.

Illinois has faced major fiscal difficulties. Those difficulties continue to increase. Approving recreational marijuana would help reduce spending on arrests and prosecution of marijuana charges. The state would be able to generate tax revenue from a legal marijuana industry that can help several state programs, and its deficits in funding.

Another benefit for the state is reduced Medicate and healthcare costs. The overall cost of healthcare to the State of Illinois would decrease as there would likely be fewer calls for ambulances, fewer overdose deaths and fewer people going to the hospital, allowing those resources to be spent elsewhere on healthcare.

With wide democratic support in the upcoming gubernatorial election, Illinois voters may finally have their requests fulfilled.