The effort made it the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana but the first to pass a comprehensive legalization package through the legislature rather than a ballot initiative. SPRINGFIELD — Recreational marijuana use and possession will be legal in Illinois beginning Jan. 1, 2020, after Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill Tuesday in Chicago that supporters said is the "most equity-centric" legalization effort in the nation. read more