Illinois becomes 11th state in US to legalize recreational marijuana, first to set up statewide marketplace

Illinois on Tuesday became the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana for recreational use after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that permits residents to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis at a time and non-residents up to 15 grams.

The move, which fulfills one of Pritzker’s campaign promises, also implements the nation’s first comprehensive statewide cannabis marketplace designed by legislators. It also means that nearly 800,000 people with criminal records for purchasing or possessing 30 grams of marijuana or less may have those records expunged.