Illinois lawmakers have sent a bill to the governor that would make it so courts cannot deny petitions to expunge or seal records based on a positive drug test for marijuana. However, a separate House-passed bill concerning workplace protections for employees who use cannabis off-the-job stalled in the Senate before the chamber adjourned for the session. The bill sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) last week would revise the state’s Criminal Identification Act to stipulate that courts “shall not deny a petition for expungement or sealing because the petitioner has submitted a drug test taken within 30 days before the filing of the petition for expungement or sealing that indicates a positive test for the presence of cannabis within the petitioner’s body,” a synopsis says. Rep. Carol Ammons (D), the bill’s sponsor, said the measure closes an “existing loophole” that could inadvertently impact people who are eligible for relief following the legalization of marijuana for adult use in 2020.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/12/2022 15:20:00