Illinois diversifies its cannabis industry

Illinois granted 48 new artisanal cannabis cultivation licenses last week, continuing the slow progress of expansion and diversification of its cannabis sector, which has sold for 1.4 billion in 2021.

20 of these new licenses are held predominantly by blacks, 17 by whites and 4 by Hispanics, the others being held by a group of people or without specific information.

All new licensees are qualified as social equity seekers, This means that they live in areas of extreme poverty, are subject to frequent cannabis-related arrests, that they or members of their immediate family have a minor cannabis-related criminal record, or that more than half of their employees meet these criteria.

Companies that have been awarded a license can now obtain financing to pursue their project and acquire their own growing space, hire employees or purchase equipment.

«This is very good news,» attorney Don Craven, who represents several licensed companies, told the Chicago Tribune. «It adds a level of certainty they didn't have before».

Many growers expect the opening to take 6 months to 1 year, minimum. Of the first batch of 40 artisanal cultivation licenses authorized in 2021, only 3 have recently received permits to begin construction.

With these 48 new licenses, nearly half of the 341 growers, transport companies and artisanal processors (’edibles Most of the companies (especially) authorized by the State Department of Agriculture are companies with a majority diversity background.

Illinois law limits artisanal growers to 450 square meters of cultivation space, a tiny fraction of the 20,000 square meters of cultivation space originally authorized for cultivation licenses original.

Artisanal growers hope that the new legislation will increase their size limit, which would also make it easier to obtain financing, as the yield was mechanically better with a larger surface area.