A federal judge from the U.S. Northern District of Illinois recently ruled that an Illinois state law banning (i) medical cannabis cultivation centers and dispensaries from making campaign contributions to any political committee established to promote a candidate for public office, and (ii) candidates and political committees from receiving such contributions, violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The court took the position that because the law singles out medical cannabis organizations, it is another way of restricting or discriminating against content of speech or a particular viewpoint. This ruling is timely in that Illinois lawmakers have recently introduced bills in the both the IL House and Senate to make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess, grow, and purchase limited amounts of marijuana for medical or recreational use. The Marijuana Policy Project, a national advocacy group, believes that "[b]y regulating adult use, the state can generate much-needed revenue for the state budget, replace the underground market with regulated businesses, and allow law enforcement to focus on serious crime." A potential win-win all around.
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