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Illinois Department of Ag regulating recreational marijuana

The Adult Use Recreational Marijuana Act takes effect in Illinois on January 1st and Illinois’ Director of Agriculture says the ag department will play a big role in the regulatory process.  

“We are responsible for permitting and licensing the growers, cultivators, processors, the transportation and even the craft grow for adult use marijuana in Illinois.”

John Sullivan says the department was responsible for similar tasks with medicinal marijuana a few years ago.

Sullivan tells Brownfield this change made by the Illinois General Assembly should not have a large impact on farmers.

“They are tracking the plants and the product from seed to market to the final point of sale, so I think most people in the farming community are not going to be seeing any changes whatsoever.”

Illinois is the 11^th state to approve recreational use of marijuana. Illinois joins Michigan as the second state in the Midwest to legalize it.