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* Sun-Times…
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker remains one of the biggest proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana, which he said could bring in $170 million in tax revenue, to start, by next year.
And on Tuesday he took it a step further, saying he’s also in support of “home grow” — marijuana — to an extent. The discussion about how many marijuana plants would be allowed in a household remains part of ongoing negotiations about marijuana legalization in the state.
Asked during a Springfield news conference about his “philosophical” view of whether Illinois residents should have the right to grow cannabis in their homes, Pritzker voiced his support.
“I don’t think it’s a philosophical question about whether it should just be an open right for anybody to open their own farm in their basement,” Pritzker said to some chuckles from legislators behind him. “It’s really more of a question about … it’s really more…”
After a bit more of laughter, Pritzker took a position: “People should have home grow, but the question is how much?”
[Headline explained here.]
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 8:53 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 8:59 am
Looking forward to seeing the kits in the garden center at Home Depot for growing ‘Roses’ in your basement.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:05 am
LOL…This guy is a real jester.
Comment by Meelos Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:05 am
Thanks for that link, Rich - I had a feeling that’s where you were taking us.
Comment by cover Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:13 am
Maybe the Illinois Farm Bureau, who opposes legalization, will take note of the fact that Neil Young performed “Homegrown” at Farm Aid with Willie Nelson and specifically raised against mega producers and mega retailers.
Comment by Thomas Paine Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:14 am
That’s a good sign and expected. If five plants per household are legalized, as has been talked about, that’s a good yield. The growing could be rotated in a 2-3 system, where, say, two plants are in the final flowering stage while three are in the initial vegetative growth stage. Harvest the two, put the three veggies into flowering phase and sprout two more to take their place. Keep the harvests coming.
We can have houses full of guns, ammo and hard liquor but can’t have a few plants that are non-lethal? C’mon, now.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:17 am
If they are worried about losing tax revenue revenue maybe they could introduce a POID, Plant Owner ID. /snark
Comment by Kevin Highland Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:18 am
make it 5 plants for personal/family use and be done with it. The anti-pot lobby are still all the special interest groups who see job and income loss from prison guards to law enforcement to lawyers to Big Pharma. Time to move forward, decades late.
Comment by truthteller Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:19 am
Let’s get this garden growing already!
Comment by TheGoodLieutenant Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:23 am
Five plants has always been the placeholder. I’d guess it will probably stay there, since JB seems fine with it.
Comment by PJ Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:24 am
How much additional sales tax revenue from Cheetohs and Doritos?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:33 am
–kits in the garden center at Home Depot for growing ‘Roses’ in your basement.–
Why go to all that trouble? It’s a weed, it’ll grow just fine outside.
Anyone remember that outdoor weed farm off of I-94 by Harborside? Hundreds of plants as big as Christmas trees, hidden in plain sight.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-police-pot-bust-stony-island-172405561.html
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:34 am
Every time this topic comes up I get the impression I am reading the editorials from “High Times”.
Comment by Enemy of the State Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:36 am
Word,
I thought it was too cold here to grow in the winter, also if I recall from the CNBC if you play with the light you can increase your yeild.
Also reduces the risks of someone coming into your yard to snatch your crops.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:43 am
Five plants grown by a very sick novice grower will not provide adequate product. It takes months to grow and there are numerous issues which can prevent a successful harvest.
Being hospitalized for several days due to complications of illness can ruin a crop. Mites can ruin a crop. Mold can ruin a crop. Over-fertilization can ruin a crop. Not every sick person will have a space suitable for year round grow. A space could be too hot in summer months or too cold in winter months. A sick person could plant 5 seeds and four may sprout. Then six weeks after planting you realize you are growing 4 male plants, which will not produce flowers, only pollen balls. Or maybe you get two females and at week 6 you realize the flowers are not growing at all due to the females hermaphriditing producing male pollen balls and the plant goes into seed production not medical Buddha bud growing. Or a novice grower may use poor soil or half gallon pots, rather than 5 gallon buckets with rich dirt.
Sick people sometimes know they have a medical procedure or treatment coming up and they may be too sick to care for the plants for a time, so I can understand why someone would want to grow an amount to last 9 months.
How about a farmer’s dozen? Five plants is better than nothing, but it is a tease which will certainly leave valid sincerely ill people short on supply.
Maybe 5 plants for recreational but allow medical users 25?
Comment by Al Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:46 am
I don’t know why opponents are so worried.
For the love God
People don’t even take time to cook anymore.
They eat out
They heat up stuff in the microwave.
My teen just did a hydroponic experiment last year. We grew two poblano peppers.
The first month was fun.
After that it was akin to changing the cat litter.
It’s a chore and we all lost interest.
It was a more maintenance and work than I have time for.
A small number of people will go through the hassle in the end.
Let’s face it
Most people are too lazy.
Just prohibit retail sale of whole plants.
Boom
You will knock a problem right there.
Look when you can buy it readily
Why bother
5 plants is plenty for a hobbyist.
I made hard cider once. Several hundred for the gear. Then all the apples I had to buy.
Cripes it was terrible tasting
And about 50$ a bottle.
Just relax folks
Give the hippies their homegrown
After an initial craze
it will fade back to
big corporate profits and domination.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:54 am
Honeybear has a point. I doubt every garden will include a pot plot. Esp if your garden is by the sidewalk personally I lose enough Tomatos to passerby’s.
Home brew beer doesn’t seem to have killed of Budweiser.
Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:04 am
Michigan is allowing the home grow of 12 cannabis plants and an additional 10 ounces of cannabis stored at home. Do we believe in personal freedom for adults or not in our state?
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:06 am
What Honeybear said.
Comment by very old soil Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:06 am
Ed Rosenthal who was the head of the San Francisco Compassionate Use Program said a lucky novice grower who was successful in pulling off a crop could expect a half ounce to an ounce of product. So two female plants could produce 15 to 30 cigarettes. When it takes 100 days to grow this is clearly an inadequate supply. What if there are two sick people in a household? A husband with Epilepsy and wife with cancer? A pack of joints may not even last a week whereas it take 13 weeks to grow. Five is inadequate for sick folks.
A lot of folks will buy equipment, like they do for beer brewing and use it two or three times and forget about it.
Comment by Al Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:10 am
Outdoor growing is great, as the sun is the best light. Having a place to grow outdoors is awesome. But many don’t have the outdoor space or don’t want something conspicuously outside. There’s the climate factor as well, where people can grow indoors in the winter.
It’s also true that home growing takes too long and is too much work for many, who just want to go to a store and easily buy it. Either way, home growing should be included. It would bring sales of related products, like grow lights, grow systems, nutrients, indoor growing tents, etc. It would be wonderful for there to be clubs or social gatherings, where people can enjoy each-other’s produce.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:14 am
==Maybe 5 plants for recreational but allow medical users 25?==
I’m not getting your point. Sick people would have trouble growing 5 plants, so they should have an entire crop worth? How can someone too ill to manage 5 plants handle a mini-farm? For that matter, what normal person has space to grow 25 pot plants? You would need a small greenhouse, and a serious operation. If you have that capacity and money and you’re still worried about getting enough product … just go buy extra from the store.
Comment by PJ Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:18 am
The little old ladies growing African Violets with heat lamps will rest easier knowing fewer Drone x-ray pics will target them now. lol.
2 plants with 3 starters to get flowers started ought to be plenty. Not sure how many of our friends here know exactly how big (and pungent) these plants get. 2 plants far exceed anyone’s personal use. Even Cheech and Chong could get by easily with one and have enough left over to be very, very sociably generous.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:20 am
Wow….Al
May God keep you in the palm of His hand.
You just gave me a revelation
The sick can’t afford medication
Homegrown Weed is a light
Weed is a hope against pain and suffering
and against bankruptcy.
So yeah, for medical use
you should be able to grow more
OR
How about this
Registered Homegrowers Cooperative
A non profit cooperative
Let them grow enough
to keep someone suffering stocked
I have no idea how much
But let a good homegrower grow X amount for up to say 5 medically certified clients in need.
That way
Their weed is cheaper
They get a steady supply
The grower gets a bit of income
and people who are suffering with pain and lack of money.
are helped out.
MedMar Homegrown co operatives
I hate hegemonic corporations more than Rauner
Power to the cooperatives
Power to the needs
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:26 am
I’m going to beat Rich to the punch & say we seem to have a lot of experience here.
A risk with Homegrown to me is if the feds were to visit & it remains illegal, likely lot of money in Asset Forfeiture, would that bump up the charge vs having a few joints?
Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:33 am
We already have the open right to start a farm in our basement of literally any other plant, including many fatally toxic ones, and it would not be a philosophical question. It has always been an open right.
Comment by Homer J. Quinn Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:41 am
I know people who knew they needed surgery. They planned their surgery months in advance and had a specialist perform the surgery out of State. The recovery period after having your torso completely opened up for a 14 hour surgery leaves one too sick and weak for a couple months to care for plants. Too sick to care for their dog for a time so they have to have someone temporarily adopt their animal.
Comment by Al Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:45 am
Five plants per physical address?
Five plants for each renter at a particular address?
Five plants for each adult at that address?
Five plants for each person on the property deed?
Five plants for each registered voter at the address?
Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 10:58 am
Mason Born - Federal lawmakers are currently talking about passing the States Act which is a bi-partisan bill that would protect legal cannabis states from federal intervention. Furthermore, the feds today could raid cannabis dispensaries across the country but do not. What makes you think they are going to start raiding the homes of people if they are following state law? For those not paying attention, the prohibition of cannabis is going away.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:04 am
So, what happens if your one plant over the line?
Comment by Bigtwich Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:05 am
Bitwich - One plant too many and it will be just like it is now. If you are white and get caught in a farmer’s cornfield you will be forced to pull the plants up and be given a stern verbal warning you will go downtown next time. If you is not white you get bracelets and a free ride to a free lodging free food metal cage.
Comment by Al Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:13 am
Illinois Resident
I sincerely hope you’re right that federal restrictions are going away.
No I don’t envision the Feds raiding peoples homes, I’d be more concerned that Feds tack it on because while visiting with you for another reason they smelled/saw it.
Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:16 am
This issue may soon be moot. Scientists can get THC and CBD from yeast. The yeast feeds on sugar. A sugar high could have a new meaning.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:20 am
Mason Born - I understand where you are coming from. That is why federal law needs to change. Said that, the states are changing the narrative. Each state that passes cannabis reform laws puts pressure on the federal government to change as well. The tipping point is coming.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:20 am
“One day without no warning, things start jumping up from the ground.”
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:25 am
For those of us that believe in adult personal freedom relative to cannabis legalization, we are in exciting times. Michigan recreational legalization was a game changer for the Midwest. Illinois will follow shortly and the other surrounding states that have not legalized cannabis will just look silly. We will gladly take their tourism dollars until they see the light.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:28 am
how does home grown generate tax?
Comment by foster brooks Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:38 am
The mammalian brain produces anandamide… an endogenous organic cannabinoid.
All humans produce endogenous cannabinoids.
Everybody cuff up?
Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:45 am
Foster Brooks - We have not seen the bill yet so no way to answer that yet. I don’t think it should be directly taxed at all. There is equipment / supplies needed to grow which will create additional Illinois sales tax revenue and create jobs. Also, like Honeybear has stated, a relatively small percentage of folks will go to the trouble of growing. The point is people should have the freedom to do so.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:48 am
The point is people should have the freedom to do so. - Illinois Resident
Our natural right to grow must be recognized by law.
Free people don’t need permission to grow a legal plant.
The concept of an illegal plant is equally obnoxious and ridiculous.
Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 12:18 pm
Well if i can grow 5 plants legally that is great, but unless they drop the penalties for growing 6-20 and then 21-50 and so on we are going to have a situation where i will face felony charges for growing 6 plants while businesses can grow 6 acres and face no penalties. And when it comes to craft grows what are the penalties for growing more than the allowed size or plant limit? Likely a civil penalty or administrative fine while i am facing felony charges for growing one too many plants. I am all for homegrow and am looking forward to breeding different strains but all the penalties for cultivation need to be lowered when the legalize cannabis.
Comment by Kentucky Bluegrass x Featherbed Bent x Northern California Sinsemilla Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 12:59 pm
Kentucky Et Al - Completely agree. Penalties for over the limit should not only be reduced for home grow, it should be reduced for possession as well. My understanding is that possessing over 30 grams of cannabis in our state (just over an ounce) is a felony with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 1 year. That is insane. This topic needs to be talked about.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 1:06 pm
See the following link.
https://norml.org/laws/item/illinois-penalties
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 1:08 pm
Does home grown mean “in your home”? Would any outdoor culture be prohibited? Security outdoors is definitely an issue.
How many people can live with the skunk stank indoors? And how many people want to be tied down by plant cultivation?
People been supporting criminals for decades. Supporting jobs and revenue now is too good of a potential deal for most to risk unnecessary, legislative complications with home grown.
Comment by vole Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 2:04 pm
–How many people can live with the skunk stank indoors?–
Those who smoke weed and drink Heineken at the same time.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 2:25 pm
Wordslinger - Ona Gel is just one of the specialty items one finds at a tax paying boutique gardening center. It is not just Lights, fans, dehumidifiers, 3 part liquid fertilizer, specialty bulbs, light movers, hydroponic mediums, trellis nets, bamboo stakes, containers, gardening books, vegetable and flower seeds, reflective mylar, ion generators; they sell odor control agents too. Capitalism.
Comment by Al Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 2:36 pm
“2 plants with 3 starters to get flowers started ought to be plenty. Not sure how many of our friends here know exactly how big (and pungent) these plants get.”
I agree. Two plants can yield a lot. With three plants following behind, that could be an ongoing supply. It’s also fun to spread the bounty and share the harvests with friends and family.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 3:04 pm
=How many people can live with the skunk stank indoors? And how many people want to be tied down by plant cultivation?=
Carbon filter off Amazon. Problem solved. And how would a garden “tie” us down? Honestly, it’s downright insulting that you would characterize this as “unnecessary”.
Comment by LetsLegalizeIt Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 3:57 pm
Limit it to one plant per household.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:28 pm
I was told Michigan allows people to have 5 plants per household. It sure how to verify that information.
These plants are bushes that can grow very large.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:31 pm
I should have said I’m not sure how to verify the number of plants each house can have in Michigan. Sorry Rich, I could find that info on Google.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:33 pm
Mama, just curious why you feel home grow should be limited to one plant. Are you against people in our state being able to have 100 bottles of vodka, 100 bottles of whisky, 100 cartons of cigarettes, and 25 cases of beer along with being able to home brew beer? All of this is perfectly ok under our current system but we should be highly restrictive on growing cannabis when it is a less dangerous substance then alcohol?
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:33 pm
Mama, Michigan allows anyone over 21 years old to grow 12 cannabis plants in their household.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:35 pm
How many guns are you allowed to own per residence?
Comment by DiverDown Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:36 pm
Diverdown - Yea and then to top it off, the federal government frowns upon folks consuming cannabis and owning guns. However, they can drink as much alcohol as they want and owning multiple firearms is no problem.
Comment by Illinois Resident Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 4:40 pm
Mama - I would support something as low as 3 plants, but definitely not just one plant. Most people aren’t skilled enough to grow a few grams, let alone the huge yield that would justify one plant.
Comment by LetsLegalizeIt Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 9:09 pm
IMO, this whole legalization thing is about the money and loss of money. The pols dont give a darn about rights.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Wednesday, Apr 10, 19 @ 11:02 pm
Blue Dog - IMO the reasons why politicians are doing this does not matter. Is it a good policy or not? A strong majority of citizens in our state believe recreational cannabis legalization for adults is a good policy.
Comment by Illinois Resident Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:02 am