Illinois Becomes 20th State to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign a bill Thursday legalizing the use of marijuana for medical reasons.

The Prairie State’s top lawmaker was scheduled to sign off on the legislation at a ceremony at the University of Chicago, The Chicago Tribune reports.

The new law — which takes effect Jan. 1 for a trial period of four years — will give the state the distinction of being the twentieth in the country to legalize marijuana in one form or another.

State Rep. Lou Lang, who helped push the bill to passage in the Senate, told the Tribune, "Our goal from the beginning was to provide a better quality of life for some very sick people in Illinois.

"When the governor signs the bill, it'll be a signal to many people that the state of Illinois still has a good deal of compassion, a good deal of concern for those of us under a doctor's care, who wish to try a new type of therapy. . . to simply feel better."

The law will allow a patient to be prescribed up 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.