Illinois passed a recreational marijuana legalization bill last year and on January 1, users could legally buy (heavily taxed) weed at a handful of locations around the state. Many locations reported long lines, but Illinois’ Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton used her VIP status to cut to the front of the queue and purchase some dope on New Years Day.
Our state’s lieutenant governor buying marijuana doesn’t exactly seem like the actions of a good role model. Then again, the purchase probably served as much as a photo op to burnish Stratton’s hard-left political reputation.
Leaving aside the jokes about the possible marijuana intoxication of many Land of Lincoln’s lawmakers given our state’s sad condition, her purchase has some implications for her personally.
After all, federal law still considers marijuana a Schedule I drug. And while weed legalization proponents are working to change that, current federal law still prohibits the use of cannabis, both recreationally and medicinally.
In Illinois, purchasers have their photo IDs scanned as part of marijuana purchases. Yes, the same Democrats who say that requiring government-issued photo IDs are too burdensome a requirement for voting are just fine mandating them to buy pot.
Those scans go to the State of Illinois and our state government shares them with the feds.
In other words, those buying now-legal pot in Illinois have effectively put themselves in the prohibited person category when it comes to gun ownership, at least where federal law is concerned.
While the Illinois State Police have said they will not revoke Firearms Owners ID cards from recreational or medical marijuana users, purchases will be denied when NICS background checks are conducted.
Furthermore, given recent crackdowns on who can own firearms, unless the feds change the law soon to decriminalize marijuana, it seems likely that someday Illinois may well use marijuana use as an excuse to crack down on users of weed, citing the federal prohibition.
Personally, I support marijuana legalization and don’t like the two-tiered system we have, nor the complications it creates for otherwise law-abiding gun owners.
Obviously Julia Stratton supports legalized pot, taking time on New Years Day to stock up.
Despite the cold, snow and long lines, hundreds of Illinois residents — including the state’s lieutenant governor — waited outside to be among the first to buy weed following its legalization.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was among hundreds of early morning customers at Sunnyside Dispensary, a Chicago marijuana dispensary, on the first day of legal recreational sales in the state, according to a release from Cresco Labs, which owns the dispensary.
“For too long, IL residents, particularly those that are black & brown, have been targeted and criminalized for #cannabis possession,” Stratton wrote in a tweet following her visit. “It’s not just a new year, it’s a new day. Thank you, @GovPritzker, for ending prohibition and building a more equitable Illinois.”
Stratton bought a 100-milligram tin of Mindy’s Edibles Glazed Clementine Orange Gummies, according to a statement from Joe Caltabiano, Cresco Labs president and co-founder. Each gummy is 5 milligrams, a “very popular microdose for beginning edible consumers,” he said.
Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton was among hundreds of early-morning customers at a Chicago marijuana dispensary on the first day of legal recreational sales in the state https://t.co/seU94z9vRE
— CNN (@CNN) January 2, 2020
And the lines in Illinois? They were very long in some locations. Exceptionally long:
First day weed is legal in Illinois & this is the line outside the Romeoville dispensary. I turned right tf back around 😂 pic.twitter.com/X7pBe2JfFQ
— 🅱️ig 🅱️oof (@BoofMasterBal) January 1, 2020
So who is Julia Stratton? On Twitter, she describes herself as:
Illinoisan. Wife. Proud mother of 4 daughters. Progressive. Triathlete. Justice advocate. Fan of live music. Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. she/hers
Here she is with multi-billionaire fat cat and now Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and most of their respective families.
So our Lieutenant Governor now can’t legally purchase a firearm as a newly-prohibited person. Maybe she can add “federally prohibited from purchasing guns” to her Twitter bio.
Frankly, it would have more relevance than her preferred pronouns.