The use of medical marijuana is already legal in more than 30 states, though less than a dozen allow recreational use of the substance.
The 10 other marijuana-friendly U.S. states are Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Vermont, Massachusetts, Michigan and Maine.
Washington D.C. also allows the drug's recreational use.
Viewed as a victory for the progressive movement in the U.S., Illinois is preparing to expunge previous convictions for hundreds of thousands of prosecuted.
The Chicago Tribune daily reported that the new law will also create a program to "help minority business owners enter the marijuana industry, including through grants and loans."
According to Pritzker, who goes by JB Pritzker, the legislation represents the "most equity-centric system in this nation" which will "right historic wrongs and reinvest in the communities that have suffered the most because of the War on Drugs."
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