Cook County voters showed their approval for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana with nearly 70 percent backing the measure in a non-binding referendum during the recent primary election.
Voters in the advisory referendum were asked, "Shall the state of Illinois legalize the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products for recreational use by adults 21 and older subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance?"
A posting on the website 24/7 Wall St. said legalizing marijuana could bring the state as much as $566 million in tax income and an estimated $133 million in sales tax revenue each year.
State lawmakers have said the vote will give them direction on moving forward with laws that would legalize marijuana in Illinois.
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