SIU School of Law event will address state’s recently enacted marijuana laws

An upcoming symposium at the SIU School of Law in Carbondale is scheduled to feature legal experts from around the country.

The symposium will look at the implications of the state’s recently enacted recreational marijuana laws. 

Eleven speakers, including Illinois State Police director Brendan Kelly, are scheduled to present their thoughts on a variety of marijuana-related topics during the event.

The March 19 SIU Law Journal symposium, with a theme of “High-Stakes: Understanding the Implications of Legalizing Marijuana,” will be in the law school auditorium. 

Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the program planned from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Continuing legal education credits are available. 

The event is open to the public, but organizers said that early online registration is suggested due to limited seating. 

Online registration is $40 and includes lunch, while registration for SIU students is free. Students must register, however, to be included in the lunch count. 

The SIU Law Journal is sponsoring the program and will publish papers from the symposium. 

Federal law still prohibits both recreational and medicinal marijuana usage. 

Illinois last year became the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and the first to approve it with legislative action compared with a voter ballot initiative. 

The Illinois Department of Revenue has reported the state collected nearly $10.5 million in combined cannabis taxes and sales taxes in January, which was the first month marijuana was legally available in Illinois. 

The symposium is aimed at numerous interest holders, including attorneys who need to understand the legal and regulatory environment of the new law, organizers said.

The event can also be helpful to police, physicians, local government leaders and employers who need to understand how the new law affects what they do.