Barickman Says Cannabis Legislation is Likely in 2019

By Neil Doyle

State Senator Jason Barickman is predicting marijuana legislation in the state will be passed in 2019.

In a conversation with WJEZ sister station WJBC in Bloomington, Barickman said legislative approval for marijuana use should happen this year, but the law won’t change immediately.

“I predict legal marijuana will be signed into law with an effective date of January 1, 2020,” said Barickman.

Barickman said once a bill is passed, the process moves to state agencies such as the Department of Public Health and Department of Agriculture to issue new rules.

Barickman says he’s confident that the law will contain safeguards for those with misgivings about cannabis use.

“I think the state will limit it (marijuana) to use in private places where the public can not see…it will be grown indoors and the attempt is to curb all of the ills people are seeing around the country and put this the right way.”

The spring legislative session begins next week, as the 101st General Assembly is sworn in Wednesday and Governor-elect JB Pritzker will take office Jan. 14.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]