For Illinois residents, January 1st will mark a new year, a new decade and a whole new era for recreational marijuana users. Possession and use of the drug will be legal come the new year. Illinois joins several other states in legalizing recreational cannabis, despite the drug’s continued illegality on the federal level. How marijuana can be used safely and legally will be strictly regulated. City of Galena officials have signed off on two permits for businesses that will sell cannabis. However, the businesses first must obtain licenses from the state before they could open their doors. The earliest that those businesses potentially could secure a license will be on May 1st.
