Students Speak on Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in Illinois

On January 1, 2020, the state of Illinois legalized recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21.

While many are celebrating, for junior Grabriel Tagoua, marijuana being legalized is just going to make the world worse. “I feel like this law is not going to help any of the social problems or discourage people for doing it because it has been a thing,” he says.

Others think Illinois did this at the wrong time.

“I think it was kind of slow. People have been smoking weed and buying tobacco and weed regardless [of what the law says],” says junior Amario Turner.

Legalizing marijuana recreational marijuana comes on the heels of Illinois’ decision to increase the age to buy cigarettes and vapes from 21 from 18. Yet, underage people continue to get access to all kinds of smoking products.

“This law won’t get the enforcement that they think because it’s the same as drinking; people going to make a way to get weed legal or illegal,” says Tagoua.

Turner says, “I think the age should be 18 because in Illinois, 18 is the age you are considered an adult, so why not leave it 18.”

These rules have made a huge impact in our Illinois community, especially with the state of Illinois legalizing weed, the biggest change of them all.