Illinois becomes 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a bill decriminalizing recreational marijuana in the state.

Illinois is now among 11 states and the District of Columbia to permit recreational marijuana. It was already among 34, and the district, to approve marijuana for medical purposes.

The Itasca, Illinois-based National Safety Council released a statement in the wake of the governor’s approval of H.B. 1434, stating the “majority of Americans live in a state with some form of legal use.”

“Safety shouldn’t be an afterthought during decriminalization discussions,” the statement reads, calling on state regulators to pay attention to workplace and road safety. “With research and data collection, safety needs to be an integral part of the decriminalization and legalization process. As the legislation has passed, the Council supports the simultaneous passage of updated laws restricting marijuana-impaired driving and marijuana impairment in the workplace.”