 Cassidy, D-Chicago, says House Bill 4357, would make possession of up to 10
grams of marijuana a civil violation punishable by a fine. Adults would no
longer face time in jail, and the civil offense automatically would be expunged
in order to prevent a permanent criminal record.
“This is a reasonable proposal that is long overdue,” Cassidy said in a Chicago
news conference Thursday.
“It needs to happen, and I am hopeful that we can make it happen quickly since
it’s already such familiar territory for legislators and the governor.”
Cassidy sponsored a similar bill in the spring, and it passed both chambers.
However, Gov. Bruce Rauner used his amendatory veto powers to suggest changes,
and the House did not concur.
Cassidy said this version of the legislation addresses the governor’s concerns
and reflects the language of his amendatory veto.
Rauner, R-Winnetka, earlier this year said Cassidy’s bill had merit, but he
asked for the following changes, all of which Cassidy appears to have made in HB
4357:
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 — Making the decriminalization measure applicable to 10 grams of
marijuana or less. The previous bill set the amount at 15 grams or
less.
— Putting fines in the range of $100 to $200. The previous bill
had them at $55 to $125.
— For the vehicle code, setting the measurement of the amount of the
drug in a person’s system at 5 nanograms per liter of whole blood to
trigger a DUI arrest. The governor thought the level suggested in
the previous bill too permissive.
Under current Illinois law, possession of up to 2.5 grams of
marijuana is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in
jail and/or a fine of up to $1,500. Possession from 2.5 grams to 10
grams is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in
jail and/or a fine of up to $1,500.
Twenty states and the District of Columbia have removed the threat
of jail time for simple marijuana possession, Cassidy said.
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