Legal Status: Recreational legal (adults 21+, since January 2020). Medical legal since 2014.
Last updated: May 2026
Possession Limits
- Illinois residents: 30g flower, 5g concentrate, 500mg THC edibles
- Out-of-state visitors: HALF (15g flower, 2.5g concentrate, 250mg THC edibles)
- Medical: 2.5oz per 14-day period
Medical Card
Cost: $50/1yr, $100/2yr, $125/3yr. Veterans and SSDI/SSI: 50% discount.
52 qualifying conditions including chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, epilepsy, ALS, autism, Crohn’s, glaucoma.
Home Cultivation
Recreational: NOT ALLOWED. Medical patients only: 5 plants per household. Illinois is one of the only recreational-legal states that completely bans home grow for non-medical adults.
DUI / Impairment
5 ng/mL in blood OR 10 ng/mL in other bodily fluids within 2 hours of driving.
Employment Protections
Partial. Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act says employers cannot discipline for using lawful products off-premises. However, employers retain the right to implement zero-tolerance drug policies. Gray area not fully resolved by courts.
What Most People Get Wrong
People assume since recreational is legal, they can grow at home. They CANNOT unless they are a registered medical patient. Getting caught growing without a medical card is a criminal offense, even for a single plant.
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