Civil legal aid organizations can apply for grants to provide cannabis expungement, representing individuals requiring a petition and appearance before the courts.

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) has been tapped to administer the program and is focusing on three main objectives:

• OBJECTIVE 1. Launch a statewide network featuring a starting point for any person to find out if they are eligible for cannabis expungement relief and receive a direct referral to the appropriate legal service provider;
• OBJECTIVE 2. Ensure people throughout Illinois have access to legal representation, prioritizing jurisdictions with the highest rates of cannabis arrests and convictions; and
• OBJECTIVE 3. Collect outcome data on the number of people accessing justice throughout the State

“As a trusted partner of the State for the past 20 years, the IEJF is excited to oversee this program and work closely with state leaders such as Lt. Governor Stratton and Toi Hutchinson, Senior Advisor to the Governor on Cannabis Control,” said Kendric Cobb, secretary of the IEJF Board of Directors. “This grant program will provide critical relief to communities most impacted by the war on drugs.”

To apply for a grant, and for more information, click here.

Funding for the Cannabis Expungement Grant program was made possible by the passage of the historic Cannabis Regulation & Tax Act in 2019 by the IL General Assembly.