Illinois Statutes Chapter 720. Criminal Offenses § 550/16.2. Preservation of cannabis or cannabis sativa plants for laboratory testing

(a) Before or after the trial in a prosecution for a violation of Section 4, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 8, or 9 of this Act, a law enforcement agency or an agent acting on behalf of the law enforcement agency must preserve, subject to a continuous chain of custody, not less than 6,001 grams of any substance containing cannabis and not less than 51 cannabis sativa plants with respect to the offenses enumerated in this subsection (a) and must maintain sufficient documentation to locate that evidence. Excess quantities with respect to the offenses enumerated in this subsection (a) cannot practicably be retained by a law enforcement agency because of its size, bulk, and physical character.

(b) The court may before trial transfer excess quantities of any substance containing cannabis or cannabis sativa plants with respect to a prosecution for any offense enumerated in subsection (a) to the sheriff of the county, or may in its discretion transfer such evidence to the Illinois State Police, for destruction after notice is given to the defendant's attorney of record or to the defendant if the defendant is proceeding pro se.

(c) After a judgment of conviction is entered and the charged quantity is no longer needed for evidentiary purposes with respect to a prosecution for any offense enumerated in subsection (a), the court may transfer any substance containing cannabis or cannabis sativa plants to the sheriff of the county, or may in its discretion transfer such evidence to the Illinois State Police, for destruction after notice is given to the defendant's attorney of record or to the defendant if the defendant is proceeding pro se. No evidence shall be disposed of until 30 days after the judgment is entered, and if a notice of appeal is filed, no evidence shall be disposed of until the mandate has been received by the circuit court from the Appellate Court.