Illinois governor plans to sign recreational marijuana bill

Marijuana, Photo Date: July 27, 2016

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The governor of Illinois plans to make the state the 11th in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana use.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has scheduled a legislation-signing ceremony Tuesday morning in Chicago. His staff listed the event on his schedule released late Monday night.

The law would allow residents to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce (30 grams) of usable marijuana at a time. Nonresidents could have 15 grams. Up to five privately home-grown plants would be allowed for personal use, but only for patients approved for the existing medical marijuana program.

Ten states and the District of Columbia allow recreational use. Legislation to legalize it in New York and New Jersey this spring fizzled. Discussions in Pennsylvania never got off the ground.

Pritzker, a Democrat, campaigned on legalization.

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