Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx says she supports legalizing marijuana in Illinois and that her office will help expunge misdemeanor marijuana convictions.
The Chicago Tribune reports Foxx told the City Club of Chicago during a luncheon speech on Thursday that expunging the records would help people who have lost out on jobs or housing because of the misdemeanor convictions.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has pledged to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and its hoped-for $1 billion in annual tax revenue and Chicago and state lawmakers in recent years have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
“Governor Pritzker supports legalizing and taxing the recreational use of marijuana and is confident we are ready to do this in a safe, inclusive, and economically beneficial way in Illinois," a spokeswoman for the governor said in a statement. "State's Attorney Foxx took an important step forward today to address the disparities in marijuana related prosecution.”
Foxx's comments — made to an audience that included politicians and law enforcement officials — mark the first time that Cook County's top prosecutor has voiced support for legalization.
