§ 45-10

Immunities and presumptions related to the handling of cannabis by cannabis business establishments and their agents. (a) A cultivation center, craft grower, infuser organization, or transporting organization is not subject to: (i) prosecution; (ii) search or inspection, except by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Health, or State or local law enforcement under this Act; (iii) seizure; (iv) penalty in any manner, including, but not limited to, civil penalty; (v) denial of any right or privilege; or (vi) disciplinary action by a business licensing board or entity for acting under this Act and rules adopted under this Act to acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, process, deliver, transfer, transport, supply, or sell cannabis or cannabis paraphernalia under this Act. (b) A licensed cultivation center agent, licensed craft grower agent, licensed infuser organization agent, or licensed transporting organization agent is not subject to: (i) prosecution; (ii) search; (iii) penalty in any manner, including, but not limited to, civil penalty; (iv) denial of any right or privilege; or (v) disciplinary action by a business licensing board or entity, for engaging in cannabis-related activities authorized under this Act and rules adopted under this Act. (c) A dispensing organization is not subject to: (i) prosecution; (ii) search or inspection, except by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, or State or local law enforcement under this Act; (iii) seizure; (iv) penalty in any manner, including, but not limited to, civil penalty; (v) denial of any right or privilege; or (vi) disciplinary action by a business licensing board or entity, for acting under this Act and rules adopted under this Act to acquire, possess, or dispense cannabis, cannabis-infused products, cannabis paraphernalia, or related supplies, and educational materials under this Act. (d) A licensed dispensing organization agent is not subject to: (i) prosecution; (ii) search; or (iii) penalty in any manner, or denial of any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business licensing board or entity, for working for a dispensing organization under this Act and rules adopted under this Act. (e) Any cannabis, cannabis-infused product, cannabis paraphernalia, legal property, or interest in legal property that is possessed, owned, or used in connection with the use of cannabis as allowed under this Act, or acts incidental to that use, may not be seized or forfeited. This Act does not prevent the seizure or forfeiture of cannabis exceeding the amounts allowed under this Act, nor does it prevent seizure or forfeiture if the basis for the action is unrelated to the cannabis that is possessed, manufactured, transferred, or used under this Act. (f) Nothing in this Act shall preclude local or State law enforcement agencies from searching a cultivation center, craft grower, infuser organization, transporting organization, or dispensing organization if there is probable cause to believe that the criminal laws of this State have been violated and the search is conducted in conformity with the Illinois Constitution, the Constitution of the United States, and applicable law. (g) Nothing in this Act shall preclude the Attorney General or other authorized government agency from investigating or bringing a civil action against a cannabis business establishment, or an agent thereof, for a violation of State law, including, but not limited to, civil rights violations and violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-27, eff. 6-25-19.)