The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) will simplify the cannabis dispensary license application process, remove barriers for social equity applicants, and expand opportunities targeted to the communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs. The IDFPR is required by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) to issue at least 50 new adult use cannabis dispensary licenses by the end of 2022.
Under the new rules, applicants will be able to apply online with certain basic information and principal officers cannot be included on more than one lottery entry. Also, applicants cannot have more than one lottery entry across all 17 regions. If deemed eligible for a conditional license, applicants will need to meet certain social equity criteria before the conditional license is issued.
IDFPR anticipates opening the conditional license application window during the late summer or early fall of 2022. All applicants who submit an approved application will participate in a lottery conducted by IDFPR with the Illinois Lottery. If an applicant does not meet eligibility criteria, IDFPR will offer the opportunity for the conditional license to the next applicant on a list of applicants drawn chronologically after the 55 applicants selected during the lottery. Each applicant drawn for an opportunity for a conditional license will have 45 calendar days to prove certain social equity eligibility criteria. This includes meeting the social equity applicant ownership criteria outlined in the CTRA.
SAL will continue to update you with additional information as it develops over the next several weeks. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.
SAL is pleased to have been instrumental in assisting our client to successfully reverse the decision by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which disqualified our craft grow applicant because the Department claimed that our client omitted certain information from the application. After presenting the court with our argument that the information was not otherwise required by the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, the Circuit Court Judge entered an order reversing the Department's decision.
We are proud that we were able to make a difference for our client by achieving a positive result in the case.
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