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Recreational marijuana has been legalized in Illinois, but what about growing cannabis? Here’s the short answer: you can only grow weed in Chicago, Illinois, if you have a Medical Cannabis card and are over 21 years old.
There’s also a handful more regulations you need to meet, like rules regarding the location you grow your cannabis plants. If you do meet all the criteria, you can start growing marijuana for personal, medical purposes today!
The Laws on Growing Cannabis in Illinois
Not everyone can grow marijuana in Chicago. Make sure you fulfill all the criteria below – otherwise, you are subject to a $200 civil penalty for growing up to 5 plants. You need to:
- be over 21 years old.
- possess a Medical Cannabis card.
- have permission to grow cannabis in your property. That’s easy if you own your apartment or house, but if you don’t, make sure you get the landlord’s permission.
- grow up to 5 plants.
- grow your plants in locked, enclosed spaces that aren’t visible to the public eye.
- not allow access to children.
- only use cannabis for personal use.
The Recent History of Cannabis Laws in Illinois
Illinois became the 11th US state to legalize recreational marijuana in May 2019, with the laws coming into effect in 2020. To begin with, only medical marijuana dispensaries had licenses to sell weed for recreational use. As of mid-2020, Illinois was supposed to grant dozens of new licenses to stores, processors, cultivators, and transporters. However, they delayed the granting of new licenses due to the pandemic, and eventually announced that 21 finalists would participate in a lottery for 75 licenses. As a result, there is widespread criticism of the lack of diversity in the $1 billion cannabis industry in Illinois.
Other Cannabis Laws in Chicago & Illinois
Here’s a quick rundown of marijuana laws in Illinois:
- Consumers must be over the age of 21.
- Only licensed dispensaries and stores can sell cannabis for recreational or medical use.
- You can only smoke in private residences. If you don’t own your property, you need permission from the property owner. There’s one exception to this rule: some tobacco retailers and weed dispensaries allow you to smoke or vape weed in there!
- You can possess a maximum of 30g of weed, 5g of cannabis concentrate, and 500mg of THC in edibles (100mg max each).
- If you are not an Illinois resident, your possession limit is half that of Illinois residents. So 15g of weed, 2.5g of cannabis concentrate, and 250mg of THC in edibles (50mg max each).
- It’s illegal to drive under the influence of weed. You can keep some bud in your car, but it has to be in a secured, sealed container that isn’t accessible when the car is moving.
How to Start Growing Weed in Chicago
Want to start growing cannabis in Chicago? You need to be on the Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient Program (MCPP), which you can register for online. Here are the requirements:
- Be a resident of Illinois
- Have a qualifying debilitating medical condition
- Have a signed physician certification
- Be at least 18 years old (although you need to be 21 years old to grow cannabis)
Where to Buy Cannabis Seeds in Chicago
If you are approved and meet all the other requirements to grow medical cannabis, then you’re ready to get going! Buy some seeds from a reputable seed bank, for example Herbies – they deliver your seeds in stealthy packaging to avoid nosey neighbors.
New to the grow game? Look for autoflowering seeds, which don’t require a specific lighting schedule. Without much work, you’ll harvest up to 1kg of weed in 1-3 months, depending on the flower time of the strain you choose. Click here for a full guide to growing weed outdoors.
Growing up to 5 plants of your own cannabis, you can try out different strains and work out which ones relieve your symptoms the best. Herbies sells seeds with high potencies of THC, CBD, CBN, and even CBG, meaning you’re sure to find something for your medical marijuana needs.