Illinois Governor Says He Will Probably Sign Decriminalization Bill

Cannabis connoisseurs toking it up in Illinois may soon find themselves with the freedom to carry around a little weed without having to worry about a despicable run in with the law.

Governor Bruce Rauner told reporters last week that he would likely sign a bill that was pushed through last week by the state legislature that would eliminate the criminal penalties associated with minor pot possession.

Ill probably be comfortable with it, Rauner said. Ive got to see whats there.

Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 64-to-50 in favor of a measure (Senate Bill 2228) designed to force police all over the state to treat small time marijuana offenses as a civil infraction instead of a criminal offense. The proposal, which was brought to the table by Senator Heather Steans, would simply prevent the average cannabis user from suffering the wrath of the criminal justice system as long as he or she was not holding more than 10 grams of weed.

Although the tone of the Governors latest remarks may allude to the possibility of a veto, it is important to understand that this legislation was drafted using the recommendations he offered up last year upon his rejection of a similar measure. In 2015, the General Assembly approved a decriminalization bill that suggested a fine between $55-$125 for anything of over 15 grams. Yet Rauner tossed out the proposal because he felt it was too liberal in its approach suggesting that legislation with a lower possession limit and higher fines would be more apt to earn a spot on the books.

Another concern expressed by the Rauner Administration is that the previous bill would have allowed a much higher threshold for stoned driving than any other state. The 2015 proposal suggested that motorists could not be busted for operating under the influence unless they tested positive for at least 15 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood. Rauner was frightened that making Illinois the most tolerate state in the nation with regard to driving high would cause the state to erupt into the Thunderdome, especially considering the states current zero-tolerance policy. So he ...