The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced on Tuesday that applications are now available on the Department’s website for adult-use cannabis licenses for new dispensing organizations.
Illinois legalized the adult use of cannabis in June when Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB1438, which had passed the full legislature in May.
Beginning on January 1, 2020, individuals over the age of 21 will be able to purchase and possess up to 30 grams of flower, 5 grams of concentrate, and 500 milligrams of THC in infused products.
Residents may possess more than 30 grams of flower if they have grown and secured it at their residence under certain conditions.
Non-residents are permitted to possess 15 grams of flower, 2.5 grams of concentrate, and 250 milligrams of THC in a cannabis infused-product.
For consideration, adult-use dispensing applications must be submitted to IDFPR between December 10, 2019, and 12:00 p.m. on January 2, 2020.
A review of the applications will begin after the deadline on January 2, with 75 conditional adult-use dispensing organization licenses to be distributed by May 1.
“As Illinois enters the next phase of its adult-use cannabis program, we are committed to a process that is efficient, timely, and most critically, continues to place equity at the forefront,” said Governor Pritzker. “From ensuring social equity applicants receive points on their application to providing grants and technical assistance, this is a process that does more than any other state in the nation to make equity a priority.”
Eligible social equity applicants will receive points on their application and can acquire technical assistance, low-interest loans, grants, and reduced fees and waivers.
Qualified equity applicants must be Illinois residents and meet one of three other requirements.
Fifty-one percent of ownership and control must be retained by one or more individuals who have lived an area that has been disproportionately-impacted by prohibition for at least five of the past ten years, been arrested for, convicted of, or adjudicated for an expunge-able offense, or have at least 10 full-time employees, of which, 51 percent must live in a disproportionately-impacted area or have been arrested for or convicted of minor cannabis crimes.
Illinois Bureau of Labor Statistics Regions
Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Deborah Hagan says that the Department understands the role that it plays in ensuring that all applicants have a chance to be involved in the cannabis industry and that they will continue to work with partner agencies to ensure that applicants have all the information that they need.
Once IDFPR issues a conditional license, the applicant must find a location in which to operate within its Bureau of Labor Statistics Region within 180 days.
Locations must be at least 1,500 from any other licensed dispensing organization.
