Gov Pritzker Drives Bold Change In Illinois Including Cannabis Reform, Meet Him At Benzinga Conference In Chicago Sept. 27-28

Illinois Gov. J.D. Pritzker’s bill-signing pen got a workout these past couple of weeks. He signed 45 House and Senate bills into law, from creating all-gender restrooms (with stall dividers and proper signage of course) to a bill intended to help individuals who have been affected by the War on Drugs. The former is optional; the latter goes into effect in Jan. 2024.

“Illinois has reduced our prison population by more than 26 percent in the last four years. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to lift up communities most harmed by the failed war on drugs,” Pritzker said, noting that he has expunged more than 800,000 low-level cannabis arrest records and pardoned 26,000 people who committed nonviolent offenses.

Gov. Pritzker At Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference In Chicago

We will be talking about these important developments and how Illinois became such a successful legal cannabis state with Gov. Pritzker (D) who happens to be a keynote speaker at our upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago on Sept 27-28. 

After Pritzker signed cannabis legalization into law two years ago making it the first in the nation to fully legalize through the legislative process, the market took off. Pritzker has often said that the industry created 30,000 jobs, noting the participation of such companies as Cresco Labs Inc CRLBF CL, Verano Holdings Corp. VRNO VRNOF, Green Thumb Industries GTBIF and privately held PharmaCann.

Cannabis Selling Like Hotcakes

These and other Illinois weed retailers sold $140 million in cannabis products this July alone, breaking a record for 2023 and marking the second-highest monthly total since legal sales launched in 2020. For all of 2022, Illinois’ weed sales reached $1.5 billion.  

We’ll certainly be talking to the Governor about those stats as well!

We’re all staying at the Marriott Magnificent Mile Downtown Hotel, so be sure to reserve a room and get your tickets today before prices go up.

Photo: Benzinga edit with Charles Edward Miller on Wikipedia and Sean Pavone on Shutterstock