- Alison Green
- Marijuana possession laws in Illinois are confusing and unfair, says Roosevelt University’s Kathie Kane-Willis.
You don’t have to be stoned to end up dazed and confused about the pot laws in Illinois. A hodgepodge of rules and enforcement practices has created an inconsistent system of justice across the state, according to a study released Monday by the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy at Roosevelt University.
More than 100 cities and towns in Illinois have passed laws allowing police to issue citations for marijuana possession. But it’s still a criminal, arrestable offense under state law, and even where a local ticketing option exists, the use and impact of it varies widely.
Advocates hoped the ticketing measures would free police to pursue more serious crimes. But even after totals dropped in Chicago, city taxpayers still spent at least $25 million, and perhaps as much as $116 million, on misdemeanor pot arrests.
The report also argues that policymakers should explore a tax-and-regulate system of legalizing marijuana sales—a subject already championed by some elected officials. “I don’t think it’s a fringe issue anymore,” Kane-Willis says. “And it’s the only way I can see to get rid of the racial disparity.”
