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Judge allows Illinois to issue licenses for 185 new cannabis stores following prolonged legal delay

After nearly 10 months of delay, a judge Friday ended the court order preventing Illinois from issuing 185 new recreational cannabis store licenses — though further litigation may jeopardize those licenses again. Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Mullen lifted the…

State issues permits for new craft cannabis operations to start construction amid ongoing turmoil in Illinois marijuana industry

Illinois has begun issuing permits for new craft grow cannabis operations to begin construction, and a judge has authorized the state to hold a corrective lottery for dispensary applicants that filed lawsuits challenging the licensing process. Those two developments mark…

New craft cannabis licenses issued amid ongoing turmoil in Illinois marijuana industry

Illinois has begun issuing new craft grow cannabis licenses, and a judge has authorized the state to hold a corrective lottery for dispensary applicants that filed lawsuits challenging the licensing process. Those two developments mark small but significant steps in…

Proposal to protect workers from getting fired for off-the-job marijuana use advances with Illinois lawmakers

A proposal to prohibit firing workers for trace amounts of marijuana in their systems moved closer to passage when the Illinois House of Representatives approved the measure earlier this month — but employers remain very leery about it. The chief…

Boom time for marijuana sales in Illinois, as industry expands with new products — but minority businesses get left behind

While 2021 was a boom time for legal marijuana sales in Illinois, it was another wasted year for minority entrepreneurs trying to break into the business, and a mixed experience for customers. Recreational cannabis retail sales continued to climb steadily…

Illinois’ weed tax windfall tops $560 million. Here’s where the money goes.

December 8, 2021
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The state’s collections since early 2020 now outpace that raised from booze sales. The money has been used on everything from buying an opioid reversal drug to funding a Girl Scouts program to fight human trafficking. First-time recreational cannabis buyers…

Only a few cannabis workers in Illinois are unionized 2 years after full legalization. Organizers say corporate owners have put up fierce resistance.

December 2, 2021
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Cannabis workers pushing to unionize amid complaints of low wages and rough working conditions claim they’ve faced stiff resistance from the corporate pot firms that employ them. In January of 2020, with the blessing of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders,…

Illinois recreational pot sales top $1 billion, blowing past last year’s totals with two months left in 2021

November 3, 2021
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Recreational marijuana sales in Illinois surpassed $1 billion last month, blowing last year’s 12-month total sales of $669 million out of the water. October recorded over $123 million in sales of recreational pot. That pushes the year-to-date total for 2021…

Medical marijuana, more popular than ever, could still cost you your job in Illinois

October 13, 2021
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Medical marijuana is more popular than ever in Illinois, despite the fact that recreational marijuana has been legal for more than a year. In fact, data indicates the spike in medical marijuana usage may be because of recreational marijuana, which…

Was the Illinois Cannabis Dispensary Lottery Rigged? Sure Looks Like It!

September 30, 2021
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by Vince Sliwoski, Attorney at Harris Bricken I was born in Rogers Park, Chicago. When I abandoned college (one of the times), I moved back to work in a Greek and Albanian restaurant and live with my grandparents. I used…

Marijuana license winners in Illinois now compete in ‘Shark Tank’-like scramble to get startup cash

September 20, 2021
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In the recent competition for cannabis business licenses in Illinois, Ambrose Jackson’s team struck gold. They won rights to both grow and sell their own cannabis. Jackson is quitting his health care management job to commit full time to becoming…

Lawyers, race and money: Illinois’ messy weed experiment

September 18, 2021
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Illinois stood to become a model for diversifying the marijuana industry in other states when it legalized the drug last year. So far, its success is half-baked. As the first state Legislature to legalize recreational cannabis sales after others approved…

For Black entrepreneurs, the dream of opening a pot shop remains just out of reach

September 16, 2021
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While state officials have named the winners of 185 upcoming pot shop permits, a court order that’s blocked their issuance has continued to place those who were supposed to benefit from legalization in an indefinite limbo state. Amid a seemingly…

Cannabis smoking lounges off to successful start in Illinois. ‘60- and 70-year-old dudes walking in with their tie-dye.’

September 1, 2021
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Cannabis smoking lounges, slow to open in Illinois since marijuana was legalized last year, are starting to get off the ground, as two have opened and more are planned across the state. In addition to bring-your-own marijuana consumption sites operating…

Those who lost shot at Illinois marijuana licenses want investigation of lottery winners with political connections, industry ties

Now that Illinois has concluded its first round of lotteries to award marijuana retail licenses, objections continue to come from those who missed out on starting businesses expected to generate millions of dollars. State officials conducted the last of three…