Illinois Archives - Cannabis Blog

You Won an Illinois Dispensary License, Now What?

by Akshita Singh and Ryan Holz | Jun 2, 2020 | COVID-19, Legislation, Real Estate, Recreational Marijuana | Illinois

In early January, Illinois received thousands of applications for adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses. Only 75 of those applications will be granted a license…eventually. Although the Illinois Cannabis Tax and Regulation Act (the Act) required the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to issue the licenses before May 1, 2020, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the IDFPR have delayed their issuance indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Michigan Expands Social Equity Program

by Douglas Sargent | May 20, 2020 | Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Illinois, Michigan

Yesterday, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) announced plans to expand the state’s social equity program. The changes impact both eligibility for the program and the benefits provided to those eligible.

Cannabis Industry Keeps Hiring Amid COVID-19

by Ryan Holz | May 13, 2020 | COVID-19, Labor and Employment, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana | Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland

Recent American job losses have been staggering, and have cut across nearly every industry. Yet according to a recent Politico Pro article (subscription required), some cannabis companies are bucking the trend and continuing to grow and hire.

Coronavirus Fallout: April Recreational Sales Rise in Some States, Decline in Others

by Douglas Sargent | May 6, 2020 | COVID-19, Recreational Marijuana | California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Washington

As we previously discussed on our blog (here, here, and here), the cannabis industry, like most industries, is facing challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic. For example, recreational marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts were not deemed to be essential businesses and were therefore required to close under the state’s emergency order.

Unionization Efforts Expand to Illinois’s Retail Cannabis Market

by Ryan Holz | Apr 29, 2020 | Labor and Employment | Illinois

Unionization has been a hot topic in the Illinois cannabis market for some time now. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 881 recently won a vote to unionize Cresco’s Joliet cultivation facility. The Teamsters lost a similar vote to unionize Green Thumb’s Rock Island cultivation facility.

Coalition Confirms Community Conscious Commitment From Cannabis Company

by Simon Fleischmann | Mar 4, 2020 | Illinois

According to a press release issued yesterday, the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition signed what is believed to be a first-in-the-nation Community Benefits Agreement with a cannabis operator attempting to open a new dispensary in Chicago. The operator, Nature’s Care Company, is currently seeking approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the City of Chicago, which has the power to grant a special use permit that is required to open a state-licensed cannabis business.

Rocky Mountain Marijuana Sales Continue to Climb

by Douglas Sargent | Feb 21, 2020 | Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana, Taxation | Colorado, Illinois, Michigan

Marijuana sales in Colorado totaled nearly $1.75 billion in 2019 according to data released by the Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division. The $1,747,990,628 in sales includes both recreational and medical marijuana and is a sizeable increase from 2018, when sales totaled $1,545,691,080.

Leafly Jobs Report 2020: Cannabis Jobs Continue to Grow

by Douglas Sargent | Feb 12, 2020 | Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana | California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma

Last Friday, Leafly released its latest annual jobs report and the numbers are encouraging. Leafly reports that the legal cannabis industry supports 243,700 full-time-equivalent jobs as of January 2020. That number grew by 33,700 new jobs over the past 12 months, which makes legal cannabis the fastest-growing industry in the United States.

Illinois Starts 2020 on a High Note

by Akshita Singh and Douglas Sargent | Jan 10, 2020 | Legislation, Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Illinois

To kick off 2020, we thought it would make sense to provide an update on what’s been going on in Illinois over the last few weeks (there’s been a lot) and is continuing to keep us extremely busy.

Green Light: Chicago Recreational Marijuana Sales Will Begin January 1, 2020

by Douglas Sargent and Akshita Singh | Dec 18, 2019 | Legislation, Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Illinois

It’s official—the sale of recreational marijuana in Chicago will begin, as planned, on January 1st, 2020. Today, Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot shot down an attempt by the City Council’s Black Caucus to delay sales of recreational marijuana in Chicago for six months. After a heated debate, the City Council ultimately voted 29-19 to defeat the proposal.

Jurisdiction: Illinois

You Won an Illinois Dispensary License, Now What?

Cannabis Industry Keeps Hiring Amid COVID-19

Coronavirus Fallout: April Recreational Sales Rise in Some States, Decline in Others

Unionization Efforts Expand to Illinois’s Retail Cannabis Market

Coalition Confirms Community Conscious Commitment From Cannabis Company

Rocky Mountain Marijuana Sales Continue to Climb

Leafly Jobs Report 2020: Cannabis Jobs Continue to Grow

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