GTBIF - Illinois Lawmakers Fail To Update Cannabis Laws Non-Profit Argues 'Corporate Greed' Played A Role | Benzinga
Illinois lawmakers concluded this year's regular spring legislative session without deciding on cannabis and hemp bills recently approved by the state Senate. This is the second year in a row marijuana legislation was overlooked, writes Crain's Chicago's John Pletz.
A hemp-focused measure that failed the Wednesday session, House Bill 4293, sponsored by Senate Majority leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D) would have restricted sales of intoxicating hemp-derived products to state-licensed cannabis dispensaries. The cannabis industry supported this strict regulation of hemp products such as Delta 8 or Delta 9, which would likely have put many CBD lounges and smoke shops out of business and resulted in the removal of CBD drinks and products from the market, reports Wttw.
"We ran out of time to get a full understanding of what the two bills were about," said state Rep. LaShawn Ford, (D) who opposed the hemp-regulation bill. "People were confused about how much regulation we would have and who would regulate it."
The other two hemp-related bills, which were supported by the hemp industry (Senate Bill 3790/House Bill 5306), did not advance at all.
"Everything has its time," said Gov.J.B. Pritzker (D), who signed a cannabis legalization bill into law some three years ago. The bill was then, and still is, lauded as the "most equity-centric" legalization effort in the nation. "I hope that there's some movement and thought about what this might look like in the new veto session," he added at the end of the legislative session.
"I think (hemp) ...