Ad-Hoc Committee: New State Laws Force Shift in How Police Handle Student Cannabis and Tobacco Violations

Will County Board Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee Meeting | April 14, 2026

Article Summary: As Will County updates its drug offense ordinances to align with changing state cannabis laws, officials highlighted a recent shift in enforcement that prohibits police from ticketing students for tobacco or cannabis possession inside schools, leaving the matter entirely to internal school discipline.

County Drug Offense Ordinance Key Points:

• Ordinance #26-4457 amends Chapter 132 of the county code, governing drug offenses and paraphernalia.

• The ordinance establishes a $100 to $200 fine for individuals knowingly possessing less than 10 grams of cannabis.

• The updated code explicitly lists “chillums”—pipes designed to cool smoke—as prohibited drug paraphernalia alongside bongs and carburetor pipes.

• Local police can no longer issue citations to students caught with tobacco or cannabis inside schools due to a recent state law mandating in-house school discipline.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Will County Board Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee advanced Ordinance #26-4457, updating the county’s drug offense code to reflect the complex realities of legalized cannabis and changing state mandates regarding juvenile enforcement.

The ordinance, which amends Chapter 132 of the county code, sets local regulations for the possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. Under the updated ordinance, it is a violation to knowingly possess less than 10 grams of cannabis, an offense carrying a fine of no less than $100 and no more than $200, plus administrative fees. The code also meticulously lists prohibited drug paraphernalia, updating the definitions to include items like water pipes, carburetor masks, bongs, and “chillums.”

When asked by the committee, staff member Philip Mock clarified that a chillum is a specific type of pipe that refrigerates and cools the smoke before inhalation.

While the county is establishing these local fines, Mock warned the committee that prosecuting cannabis possession at the local administrative level remains highly difficult due to the burden of proof required.

“You still got to have a lab test from a laboratory to prove it’s cannabis,” Mock advised the board. “Oregano literally does field test as cannabis.”

The committee also discussed the logistical hurdles of enforcing cannabis transport laws, noting that state statute still requires legally purchased cannabis to remain in its original, unopened packaging while being transported.

Beyond the adult-use complications, Mock highlighted a significant shift in how juvenile offenses are handled, particularly inside the county’s school districts. The county had previously looked at strengthening its local tobacco and drug ordinances specifically so local law enforcement could write citations for high school students caught with contraband.

“The police, they asked me to make this stronger before they changed the law. They wanted to have the tobacco part written better so they could write the kids up for having cigarettes in school,” Mock told the committee. “We had to tell them after they passed that law a year ago, January, that no, you can’t do that anymore.”

According to Mock, state law now dictates that police are not supposed to cite students for these types of violations while on school grounds. Instead, the enforcement falls entirely under the umbrella of in-house school discipline, such as detention or suspension.

The committee advanced the Chapter 132 updates without objection on a motion by Vince Logan (R-Joliet), seconded by Dawn Bullock (D-Plainfield).