Cannabis Organization Provides Toolkit, What to Know Ahead of Jan. 1 Legalization

SPRINGFIELD– As Illinois prepares to debut legal adult use of cannabis on Jan. 1, 2020, the industry’s major advocacy voice is rolling out a new public awareness campaign toolkit with a clear message: Be Responsible.

The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois (CBAI), or CannaBiz Illinois, represents Illinois’ cultivation centers and dispensaries that have served thousands of medical cannabis patients for the past several years, and will be growing and selling cannabis products for the general public when adult use becomes legal in 2020.

CBAI has developed a multi-part educational campaign helping those interested in being among the first to legally use cannabis under Illinois’ new law to understand what’s allowed and what isn’t, and how to possess and consume cannabis responsibly.

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At its new website -- http://www.cbail.org/legalization/ -- the organization has developed a series of “how-tos” for prospective users:

• Social Equity and Expungement – the types of criminal offenses involving cannabis that will be cleared off people’s records under the new law, and how that process and timing will work
• Possessing and Consuming – who can legally purchase cannabis as of Jan. 1, how much you can possess (different limits for Illinoisans and non-residents), where you can find dispensaries for purchasing cannabis and how your cannabis can legally be transported
• Cannabis Licensing 101 – who is licensed to grow and sell recreational and medical cannabis in Illinois now and in the coming months and years as the law develops
• FAQ – where cannabis possession is prohibited in Illinois under the new law

CBAI’s “Be Responsible” materials also are being distributed around the state to its member dispensaries, who are being encouraged to place them on their own websites and provide them for patients and customers in their facilities. Additional educational materials are in development.

“Our members are working around the clock to ensure we can provide a high-quality experience with top-notch products to the many adults we expect will be eager for adult cannabis use in Illinois on Jan. 1,” said Pamela Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois.

“It’s an exciting time, but also one we take on with great care. We hope these materials and messages will help users better understand the new law and their legal responsibilities. We urge anyone planning to use cannabis here to take a few minutes to learn what’s allowed and what isn’t, and to always Be Responsible.”

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