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Illinois Cannabis Legalization Leaves Old Convictions Unresolved

Illinois struggles to clear old marijuana criminal records despite legalization, highlighting social justice gaps in cannabis reform while companies like Cresco Labs operate in legal markets.

This news matters because it reveals a significant social justice gap in cannabis legalization efforts. While states like Illinois have created legal markets generating billions in revenue and business opportunities, thousands of individuals still carry the burden of past cannabis convictions that affect employment, housing, education, and voting rights. The disparity creates a two-tiered system where some profit from cannabis while others continue to suffer consequences for activities that are now legal. This impacts communities of color disproportionately, as they were historically targeted for cannabis enforcement. Without effective expungement programs, legalization fails to address the harms of the war on drugs, perpetuating inequality even as the industry grows. For investors and businesses, this represents both an ethical consideration and potential regulatory risk as social justice becomes increasingly central to cannabis policy discussions.