Illinois Gov. expected to enact law creating 115 licenses; Announcement on craft grow

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected today to sign HB 1443, legislation creating a series of lotteries for 115 new cannabis dispensary licenses, according to multiple government and industry sources who have spoken to Grown In. Sources also confirm that the Illinois Department of Agriculture will make announcements tomorrow regarding the award of 40 craft grow, 40 infusion, and an unlimited number of secure transport licenses. 

The legislation, passed in May by the Illinois General Assembly creates:

• The Tied Applicant Lottery, for the twenty-one applicants to the January 2020 dispensary application process who scored perfect scores, who would be in a drawing for 75 dispensary adult-use licenses;
• The Qualifying Applicant Lottery, for 55 adult-use licenses, for applicants to the January 2020 process who scored at least 85% of 250 applicant points.
• The Social Equity Justice Involved Lottery, for 55 adult-use licenses, for applicants to the January 2020 process who scored at least 85% of 250 applicant points and does not include applicants who obtained social justice status by employing 10 people who were from disproportionately impacted areas or had been arrested because of a cannabis-related crime; and,
• The Social Equity Justice Involved Medical Lottery, for 5 unassigned medical licenses (which includes a “plus-one” adult-use license) for applicants with the same qualifications as the Social Justice Involved Lottery. Those medical licenses will also be allowed to sell adult-use cannabis.