Law Illinois MMJ

[Baron23]

Illinois Considers Ethical Implications of Cannabis License Lottery


Illinois social justice advocates and cannabis applicants alike are speaking up, claiming that the lottery system used to determine cannabis license holders in the state does not give fair opportunities to marginalized groups looking for a seat at the table.



As it stands now, the lottery system would determine 75 winners at random for new licenses this year. Currently, state law gives additional points on applications from groups that qualify as social equity applicants, especially if they live in an area disproportionately affected by cannabis laws in the past or have past convictions. Those opposed to the lottery system claim it is not in line with this state law, as it does not take into account those applicants, and because so many equity applicants were already filtered out of the system.
“We are under the weather from this oppressive system, this rigged system, in which the state representatives and the state senators were lied to,” former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-5th, said, claiming he feels this system will help keep people of color and other minorities out of the cannabis industry and contribute to the disparities that currently exist.
Part of the frustration stems from the fact that, while more than 700 different groups applied for licenses this time around, only 21 social equity groups are advancing to the lottery round to be considered for business licenses. According to the accounting firm KPMG, those are the groups that received perfect scores on their applications. Thus, many applicants are suspicious about what happened and what was wrong with their application.
“The implementation of this law does not seem to meet the true social equity results the General Assembly intended when we passed this bill. We believe the administration should have an opportunity to explain what happened and what is being done to fix the situation,” State Reps. La Shawn Ford, D-8th, and Kathleen Willis, D-77th wrote in a letter to Governor J.B. Pritzker asking him to rethink the lottery system.
“We’re here to address the orchestrated injustice of the scoring process and call on the IDFPR and our Governor Pritzker to make the scoring process fair and transparent,” said Marc Pullins, a black man who was applying for three licneses with Lori’s Leads. He is currently working on filing an injunction that would put a hold on the lottery, as he feels he was unfairly passed over for a chance to get a license.
“Despite recent press releases from people connected to the state and some of the applicants selected [saying] social equity played a significant role in determining the winners, well it didn’t,” Pullins added.
There have been rumors that the lottery would be held Wednesday, but Prizker’s office claimed that wasn’t the case, yet still maintained that it would happen this month. It remains to be seen whether or not these attempts to stop the lottery will be successful, but it is clear that people in Illinois aren’t happy with the system as it is and want change to come.

 

[momofthegoons]

Illinois (Yet Again) Breaks Monthly Marijuana Sales Record

Marijuana sales in Illinois broke yet another monthly record in August, according to a report from the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation that was released on Tuesday.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois has seen escalating cannabis sales month-over-month. In August, consumers purchased more than 1.3 million marijuana products for a total of nearly $64 million. More than $17 million of those sales came from out-of-state visitors.

In July, the total sales reached about $61 million—the previous record. The new adult-use sales figures don’t include data about purchases made through the state’s medical cannabis program.

This latest data seems to support the notion that the state’s marijuana market is “recession-proof” and “pandemic-proof,” as a top regulator said last month.

State officials have emphasized that while the strong sales trend is positive economic news, they’re primarily interested in using tax revenue to reinvest in communities most impacted by the drug war. Illinois brought in $52 million in cannabis tax revenue in the first six months since retail sales started in January, the state announced last month, 25 percent of which will go toward a social equity program.

“We were not doing this to make as much money as fast as we possibly could,” Toi Hutchinson, senior cannabis advisor to Gov. J.B Pritzker (D), said last month. “We were actually doing this for people,” with a focus on supporting communities most impacted by the drug war.

In May, the state also announced that it was making available $31.5 million in restorative justice grants funded by marijuana tax revenue.

That said, ensuring an equitable market as promised hasn’t been easy. Regulators are facing lawsuits after dozens of would-be social equity licensees were denied an opportunity to participate in a licensing lottery over alleged problems with their applications. The state said it would approve 75, but only 21 ultimately qualified—and critics complain that the resources it takes to submit an acceptable application creates barriers for the exact people the special licenses are supposed to help.

Lawyers behind one suit recently said that they would be willing to drop it if the state would give the rejected applicants an opportunity to fix their submissions to be eligible for the lottery.

For now, the out-of-state sales data seems to support Pritzker’s prediction during his State of the State address in January that cannabis tourism would bolster the state’s coffers.

Prior to implementation, the pardoned more than 11,000 people with prior marijuana convictions.

Over in Oregon, officials have been witnessing a similar sales trend amid the global health crisis. Data released in May showed sales of adult-use cannabis products were up 60 percent.

 

[ataxian]

Illinois (Yet Again) Breaks Monthly Marijuana Sales Record

Marijuana sales in Illinois broke yet another monthly record in August, according to a report from the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation that was released on Tuesday.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois has seen escalating cannabis sales month-over-month. In August, consumers purchased more than 1.3 million marijuana products for a total of nearly $64 million. More than $17 million of those sales came from out-of-state visitors.

In July, the total sales reached about $61 million—the previous record. The new adult-use sales figures don’t include data about purchases made through the state’s medical cannabis program.

This latest data seems to support the notion that the state’s marijuana market is “recession-proof” and “pandemic-proof,” as a top regulator said last month.

View attachment 21092

State officials have emphasized that while the strong sales trend is positive economic news, they’re primarily interested in using tax revenue to reinvest in communities most impacted by the drug war. Illinois brought in $52 million in cannabis tax revenue in the first six months since retail sales started in January, the state announced last month, 25 percent of which will go toward a social equity program.

“We were not doing this to make as much money as fast as we possibly could,” Toi Hutchinson, senior cannabis advisor to Gov. J.B Pritzker (D), said last month. “We were actually doing this for people,” with a focus on supporting communities most impacted by the drug war.

In May, the state also announced that it was making available $31.5 million in restorative justice grants funded by marijuana tax revenue.

That said, ensuring an equitable market as promised hasn’t been easy. Regulators are facing lawsuits after dozens of would-be social equity licensees were denied an opportunity to participate in a licensing lottery over alleged problems with their applications. The state said it would approve 75, but only 21 ultimately qualified—and critics complain that the resources it takes to submit an acceptable application creates barriers for the exact people the special licenses are supposed to help.

Lawyers behind one suit recently said that they would be willing to drop it if the state would give the rejected applicants an opportunity to fix their submissions to be eligible for the lottery.

For now, the out-of-state sales data seems to support Pritzker’s prediction during his State of the State address in January that cannabis tourism would bolster the state’s coffers.

Prior to implementation, the pardoned more than 11,000 people with prior marijuana convictions.

Over in Oregon, officials have been witnessing a similar sales trend amid the global health crisis. Data released in May showed sales of adult-use cannabis products were up 60 percent.

That new’s is kind of logical!

 

[Baron23]

Illinois Revises Marijuana Licenses Process After Complaints


Illinois tweaked how business owners seeking recreational marijuana licenses can apply following complaints that the process favored politically connected and rich applicants over minorities and veterans who were supposed to benefit.
Recreational marijuana sales started in January under an Illinois law that, like similar efforts elsewhere, was touted for so-called social equity provisions designed to address racial disparities and other inequities in the decadeslong war on drugs. Black Illinois residents are seven times more likely to be arrested for marijuana offenses than white residents, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
However, some applicants for pot shops and state legislators said minorities and veterans were still being shut out under the complex point-based application process where only those with a perfect score would be allowed a shot at licenses. The first licenses to sell and grow recreational cannabis were given to existing medical marijuana companies.
Of more than 700 applicants, just 21 finalists got perfect scores to qualify for the lottery to win 75 licenses. Some criteria included having environmentally friendly plans and having at least 51% of the organization owned by minorities or veterans. Applicants can seek multiple licenses.



Some applicants said they were rejected in the expensive process even after meeting the criteria. Two Black-owned businesses that were passed over sued, saying only “politically-connected insider companies” won lottery spots and alleging scoring inconsistencies.
Under procedures announced Monday, rejected applicants will get a second chance to apply after the state notifies them of any “deficiencies" in their applications.
“When we heard significant concerns from numerous stakeholders about the process to award dispensary licenses, I said we needed to take a pause to fix their concerns, within the bounds of our landmark law,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker sad in a statement. “We believe that these new steps will inject more equity and fairness in the first round of license awards and provide insight as we improve the process for future rounds.”
Pritzker, a first-term Democrat, was expected to discuss the changes at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
Applicant Jermell Chavis, a Black former Marine from Chicago who missed the 252 perfect score by three points, remained skeptical.
“It’s kind of bittersweet because now you have to go into a lottery,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “And who’s to say the lottery is going to be anything like fair?”
After the licenses are granted, the state must conduct a disparity study as part of the recreational marijuana law.
Already, thousands of low-level marijuana convictions have been expunged under the law, which also earmarks some revenue for neighborhood development.
Sales for recreational marijuana in the first six months of the year topped $239 million, exceeding state projections. Illinois collected nearly $53 million in tax revenue during that time, according to Pritzker's office.

 

[momofthegoons]

Illinois Hits New Marijuana Milestone With $100 Million In Tax Revenue Collected Since Sales Began​

Illinois has hit a marijuana tax milestone, the state announced on Tuesday, collecting more than $100 million in revenue from cannabis sales since the recreational legalization program launched this year.

In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois has seen record-breaking marijuana sales month-over-month, contributing to the significant tax revenue that’s being used to fund local governments and restorative justice programs.

As of August, the last month for which tax data has been calculated for the adult-use market, the state has taken in about $106 million in revenue, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) said.

“Thanks to those who have carefully overseen this brand-new industry’s successful launch in Illinois, revenue is flowing to local governments, to drug treatment programs and law enforcement, and being reinvested in our communities hit hardest by the failed policies of the past,” IDOR Director David Harris said in a press release.

About 25 percent of the tax dollars collected are designated for restorative justice grants, while other funds will support substance misuse and mental health treatment. The state announced in May that it was making about $31 million in social equity grants available to communities identified as economically distressed.

Based on the sales trajectory over the past eight months, it seems the state is well-situated to continue to make those investments. In September alone, Illinois residents and out-of-state visitors spent a collective $67.6 million on adult-use cannabis products.

The department also noted that “at least $16.1 million [of the marijuana tax revenue] will be directed to county and local governments with more on the way.”

Sales data over the course of the year seems to support the notion that the state’s cannabis market is “recession-proof” and “pandemic-proof,” as a top regulator said in August.

Prior to the implementation of the state’s marijuana system, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) pardoned more than 11,000 people with prior cannabis convictions. And he said last week that he will be granting more acts of marijuana clemency in the future.

 

[ataxian]

Illinois Hits New Marijuana Milestone With $100 Million In Tax Revenue Collected Since Sales Began​

Illinois has hit a marijuana tax milestone, the state announced on Tuesday, collecting more than $100 million in revenue from cannabis sales since the recreational legalization program launched this year.

In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois has seen record-breaking marijuana sales month-over-month, contributing to the significant tax revenue that’s being used to fund local governments and restorative justice programs.

As of August, the last month for which tax data has been calculated for the adult-use market, the state has taken in about $106 million in revenue, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) said.

“Thanks to those who have carefully overseen this brand-new industry’s successful launch in Illinois, revenue is flowing to local governments, to drug treatment programs and law enforcement, and being reinvested in our communities hit hardest by the failed policies of the past,” IDOR Director David Harris said in a press release.

About 25 percent of the tax dollars collected are designated for restorative justice grants, while other funds will support substance misuse and mental health treatment. The state announced in May that it was making about $31 million in social equity grants available to communities identified as economically distressed.

Based on the sales trajectory over the past eight months, it seems the state is well-situated to continue to make those investments. In September alone, Illinois residents and out-of-state visitors spent a collective $67.6 million on adult-use cannabis products.

The department also noted that “at least $16.1 million [of the marijuana tax revenue] will be directed to county and local governments with more on the way.”

Sales data over the course of the year seems to support the notion that the state’s cannabis market is “recession-proof” and “pandemic-proof,” as a top regulator said in August.

Prior to the implementation of the state’s marijuana system, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) pardoned more than 11,000 people with prior cannabis convictions. And he said last week that he will be granting more acts of marijuana clemency in the future.

I was in CHICAGO a lot in the late 80’s early 90’s ( mostly drinker’s) CANNABIS was unexceptionable?

 

[Baron23]

Bustos' vote against legalizing marijuana has confused, angered some local constituents ​

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Friday that would legalize recreational cannabis nationally and expunge the criminal records of federal cannabis convictions.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, was one of only six Democrats who voted against the bill, which passed 228 to 164. It will advance to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it is expected to fail.

Considering Bustos represents a state that voted to legalize recreational cannabis last year and went into effect Jan. 1, her opposing vote has confused and angered some of her local constituents, including Rock Island 5th Ward Alderman Dylan Parker.

Parker said Rock Island city council members were proactive when they passed a resolution May 21, 2018 asking the federal government to pass legislation for the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana.

"Understanding how the decades' old war on drugs has unfairly decimated families and communities — particularly those of color — I was proud to have voted for the resolution," Parker said. "Since Illinois legalized cannabis, not only are fewer Rock Islanders going to prison, but the city has begun pursuing badly needed grant opportunities made available by the state's cannabis tax revenue.

"While the president is pardoning admitted criminals and politicizing the Justice Department, it is particularly ignorant at best for our federal Representative to have voted against correcting a criminal justice system that negatively impacts so many constituents and local governments."

In addition to legalization, the MORE Act also would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and erase criminal penalties for people who grow, process, distribute or possess marijuana.

Bustos, who was reelected to a fifth term, said Monday she voted against the legislation because it lacks clarity on what constitutes non-violent offenses, which could lead to inconsistent application of the law.
"I have supported allowing federal research into marijuana, voted for legislation that would fix federal banking issues for Illinois marijuana retailers and growers, and understand states’ roles in legalizing this substance," Bustos said.

"To be clear, I also recognize the need for criminal justice reform. There is no doubt that communities of color have been disparately impacted, and we must work to address these wrongs. That is why I have supported legislative efforts to address sentencing reform, law enforcement reform and racial justice, and other issues that have impacted the communities I serve.


"While I could not cast my vote for this legislation, I hope to play a constructive role as debate on this issue continues," she said.

Bustos has previously supported criminal justice reform such as the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act, which would address federal banking problems with marijuana retailers and growers; the First Step Act, legislation that addresses mandatory minimum sentences; and the Justice in Policing Act, legislation meant to curb systemic racism in law enforcement.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, tested positive for COVID-19, she announced Monday on Twitter.

 

[Bcbud]

Illinois starts new year by expunging nearly 500,000 marijuana arrest records

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said in an announcement hours before the start of the new year that his state had expunged nearly 500,000 marijuana-related convictions.The move follows Pritzker sig…

thehill.com

 

[momofthegoons]

Illinois Awards $31.5 Million In Marijuana-Funded Grants To Repair Communities Harmed By Drug War​

Illinois officials announced on Thursday that the state is distributing $31.5 million in grants funded by marijuana tax revenue to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.

The funds are part of the state’s Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, which was established under Illinois’s adult-use cannabis legalization law. It requires 25 percent of marijuana tax dollars to be put in that fund and used to provide disadvantaged people with services such as legal aid, youth development, community reentry and financial support.

For this round, 80 organizations that offer such services for eligible communities were chosen by the R3 board. Grant recipients include local governments, faith-based organizations and businesses.

According to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), the state received 398 completed applications for the grants.

Breaking #R3 Board Approves $31.5 million dollars in social equity grants! #JEO #twill#cannabisLegal @GovPritzker @LtGovStrattonpic.twitter.com/v2ftUoQH53
— ICJIA (@ICJIA_Illinois) January 21, 2021

Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton (D), who chairs the board and has repeatedly discussed the need to couple legalization with social equity, told The Chicago Sun-Times that there was an outpouring of interest in the funding opportunity, and so the state had to be diligent when reviewing applications, holding webinars and meetings to determine how best to allocate the grant money.

“The R3 program will tackle chronic problems that have gone unaddressed for far too long in our underserved neighborhoods,” Stratton said in a press release. “The collaboration between the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative and ICJIA is innovative and reinvents the grant process with community inclusion and promotes a standard for equity and success that other states will hopefully take note of and emulate.”

The #R3 program invests 25% of tax revenues from adult-use cannabis into communities most impacted by mass incarceration and historic disinvestment. #JEO
You can learn more in the @Suntimes.https://t.co/ntuXbuBAtc
— Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@LtGovStratton) January 22, 2021

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said that he’s “so proud to see this key equity goal in cannabis legalization move forward and I applaud the leaders in the General Assembly, ICJIA, and stakeholders across the state who made this moment possible.”

.@LtGovStratton and I remain committed to ensuring the adult-use cannabis industry reinvests in communities hardest hit by the failed war on drugs. That's why today we awarded $31.4M in cannabis tax revenue grants to support rebuilding those communities.https://t.co/uXX3Ktsxnd
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) January 21, 2021

“By awarding this first round of R3 grants, we are taking another important step toward undoing the harms of the past, and Lt. Governor Stratton and I will continue to ensure equity is a top priority as the cannabis program moves forward,” he said.

Of the funds made available through this program, $28.3 million will go to service delivery and $3.1 million will be used for “assessment and planning initiatives.”

The process of selecting grantees involved an analysis of local data on issues like unemployment, gun violence, poverty and incarceration rates, as well as information sourced from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

The goal of the grant program is to empower groups to use their resources and expertise to repair the harms of cannabis criminalization and lift up communities that are most in need.

Communities United is receiving R3 funds to provide legal aid for low-income people, particularly as it concerns housing rights, for example, according to the Sun-Times. The Chicago Urban League and the Safer Foundation said they will use their grants to promote economic development in select, disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Chicago Torture Justice Center will use its resources to aid in community reentry for formerly incarcerated people and those who’ve experienced police violence.

Grant distributions vary from about $20,000 to nearly $2 million. The NAACP Westside Chicago Branch is getting more than $1.8 million, for example, and the University of Illinois will receive $318,000. The government of Illinois’s capital city, Springfield, secured an $80,000 grant, while the city of Rockford got $520,790. Branches of the Urban league, United Way and YMCA are also receiving cannabis money.

Awarding the new grant money is not all that Illinois is doing to promote social equity and repair the harms of cannabis criminalization. For example, Pritzker announced late last month that his office had processed more than 500,000 expungements and pardons for people with low-level cannabis convictions on their records.

Relatedly, a state-funded initiative was recently established to help residents with marijuana convictions get legal aid and other services to have their records expunged.

The state has had a lot of marijuana tax revenue to work with, with sales consistently growing over the last year since the retail market launched. More than $1 billion in medical and adult-use cannabis products were purchased in 2020 alone, state data shows.

The sales figures are resulting in a much-needed windfall for state programs. In October, officials announced that the state had so far collected more than $100 million in revenue from cannabis sales since the market opened.

 

[Baron23]

The only thing I can say about this is that if writing a proposal against a government request is "extremely, extremely hard" for you, then you probably do not have the skills, resources, and experience to win... and therrefore should not. As for hiring of proposal writers....this is NOT at all unusual and hiring subject matter experts for proposal preparation is quite a common practice in government contracting.

Also, I have always felt that the "social equity" aspect of giving out licenses to those impacted by harsh drug laws had a fatal flaw. That flaw is that it is NEVER going to be the average Joe off of the mean streets that is going to win any of these government license. At a minimum, it will be very well heeled, very experienced, minority businessmen....not the inner city people harmed by the war on pot. Just my view.

Illinois' cannabis licensing lottery ‘complete failure’ says minority access committee co-chair​

Some lawmakers in Illinois are being critical of the governor’s attempt to distribute cannabis dispensary licenses, calling it inequitable.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s license distribution plan involves a scoring system and lottery that some believe shuts out minorities.
State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, calls out the system, saying it put minorities at a disadvantage and needs to be rethought, as reported by NPR.

Portia Mittons, co-chair of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois’ Minority Access Committee said she doesn’t blame lawmakers, as she believed they tried to make an equitable law. Mittons said despite this, the results proved otherwise and the scoring process was particularly problematic.
“It was a complete failure,” Mittons said. “They chose a company that did not do a good job.”
Some applicants received points for which they did not qualify while others, like some social equity applicants, were not given the points they deserved under the law, Mittons said. In the end, no one new got a license last year.

“So you know the state is the one that’s responsible, the state is the one that said we’re going to hand out these licenses, so the state needs to figure out how to fix the thing,” Mittons said. “If it was the scoring and it was the scoring company, fix that, because the applicants, us, the social equity people, the people who put their money and time and effort into it, you know, they were the ones that were screwed.”
Mittons said the scoring was just one of the ways minorities were shut out.

“The reason minorities were shut out is the application itself,” Mittons said. “It was extremely, extremely hard and there were costs that were not expected.”
Some of the hidden costs involved paying for hypothetical floor plans and security plans, while for others, the application proved so complex they needed to hire a writer with in-depth knowledge of the cannabis industry, Mittons said. These issues gave large, multi-state operators the upper hand.
Mittons describes what equity would look like going forward.

“Cannabis equity would look like the stores and the people in the community who are in the cannabis industry to reflect that community," Mittons said.

 

[bulllee]

Illinois marijuana lotteries over, but legal fights make future uncertain​

Published 8 hours ago



The third and final lottery of the summer for Illinois’ quickly expanding adult-use marijuana market resulted in the awarding of 75 new retail permits.

But there’s still a good bit of uncertainty as to what will happen next: A court order from a judge overseeing an ongoing lawsuit might force the licenses to be put on hold until that case is resolved. The suit was filed by the Wah Group and Haaayy.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the winners of new cannabis business licenses include:

• The Wah Group, which won two licenses after the judge ordered that the company be awarded a place in the lottery. An attorney for Wah told the newspaper that the business would withdraw its standing in the suit but couldn’t speak for Haaayy.
• Viola Brands, whose ownership includes former NBA players Allen Iverson and Al Harrington, won a second license.
• GRI Holdings, which was among a group that filed a different lawsuit, won two permits.
• Jeffrey Rehberger and his firm Fortunate Son Partners won their second permit. He is the CEO of video gambling company Lucky Lincoln Gaming.
• Edie Moore, executive director of the influential Chicago chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), won four licenses and now possesses six.
• So Baked Too and Suite Greens, which recently filed a lawsuit over the lottery, each won a license.
• The Herbal Care Center, which is being acquired by Chicago-based Verano Holdings, won two permits.

 

[bulllee]

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

By ROBERT MCCOPPIN
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |
AUG 31, 2021 AT 5:00 AM

​

Betty McPherson, of Morganfield, Kentucky, smokes cannabis as her friend Carla Curry, of Christopher, Illinois, looks on at the Luna Lounge in Sesser, Illinois, on July 15, 2021. Both women said that they smoke cannabis for medicinal purposes. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
1 / 15



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 in DeKalb and downstate Sesser, plans are in the works to open locations in West Peoria and Carbondale.
Weed remains illegal to smoke in public, such as on the street or in parks, in public buildings, and on private property such as hotels or apartments where property owners prohibit it. The lounges provide a legal place for adults 21 and over to smoke or vape — and create social gatherings to share the experience with friends or acquaintances. The lounges operating so far can’t sell cannabis, so users bring their own.
In West Peoria, investors hope to open a cannabis lounge by late fall. It would be called High Harbor, on the site of the former Sky Harbor Steak House. Organizers plan to offer comedy nights, music, educational and corporate events, and yoga classes, after renovations are complete, real estate agent Christina Patellaro said.

Carla Curry, right, of Christopher, Illinois, shares cannabis with Holly Roeder, owner of the Luna Lounge, a cannabis consumption lounge, in Sesser, Illinois on July 15, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
This summer, the City Council voted to approve zoning for the concept. Investors include Ronald DiGiacomo, founder and vice president of Trinity Compassionate Care Centers, which operates two cannabis stores nearby in Peoria.
High Harbor and Trinity plan their opening event outdoors on the West Peoria site Sept. 10 and 11, featuring vendors, artisans, live art and music, and no on-site sales of cannabis, but bring-your-own consumption.
“We hope to create an environment for people to enjoy cannabis and have some creativity,” Patellaro said.
In Carbondale, a recreational cannabis store has proposed becoming what would apparently be the first dispensary in the state to offer a consumption area. This summer, the City Council voted to allow such lounges, and Consume Cannabis is working to build the space, which would require customers to buy their product there.
“The City Council is in full support of cannabis business,” Economic Development Director Steven Mitchell said. “Cannabis has been here since cannabis has been around. Southern Illinois University got a reputation in the 1960s and ‘70s as sort of a hippie town. Lots of folks came from the Chicago area and introduced a new culture to the region, and it has remained.”
Southern Illinois University in Carbondale has a new cannabis research center, but generally prohibits cannabis on its property, so the lounge can provide an alternative. The manager of Consume Cannabis is Dr. Christine Heck, also CEO of Progressive Treatment Solutions, which is licensed to grow cannabis in East St. Louis, but who did not immediately return a request to explain her plans.
When Holly Roeder opened the Luna Lounge in rural Sesser in July, she expected to get some young stoner customers. As she discovered, the clientele turned out to be older — typically over 40, up to 90, most of them medical marijuana patients.
“We get 60- and 70-year-old dudes walking in with their tie-dye,” she said. “I love that.”

Holly Roeder, right, owner, of the Luna Lounge, in Sesser, Illinois, checks out Carla Curry, left, of Christopher, Illinois, Betty McPherson, back to camera, from Morganfield, Kentucky, as Chris Duke, of Johnston City, Illinois, looks on. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

De Bresla, of Johnston City, Illinois, rolls cannabis at the Luna Lounge on July 15, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
More than a month after opening, the Luna Lounge is thriving, sometimes drawing capacity crowds around 70 people to hear bands on weekend nights. It isn’t licensed to sell cannabis or alcohol, but customers can bring in their own weed and rent or buy pipes or bongs to smoke. Officials say there have been no problems there.
At another college town, DeKalb, Aroma’s Hookah Bar serves tobacco and also allows customers to bring in their own marijuana. Since opening in June, the store has offered promotions such as a $12 fee for unlimited time smoking cannabis in its lounge, or $5 on Wednesday, with free arcade games. They serve snacks and nonalcoholic drinks, and customers can play board games.
Co-owner Cameron Dye said the summer was slower than he’d hoped, but he’s expecting that more students will come in now that Northern Illinois University is resuming fall classes, but does not allow cannabis on campus. He planned to be out at Corn Fest last weekend, passing out promotional fliers with back-to-school specials.
“It’s so new that people don’t think it’s real,” he said. “They didn’t think anything like this could be possible, especially right across the street from the police station, When we tell them it’s OK, they’re blown away.”
Back in Sesser, population 1,900 and a five-hour drive from Chicago, customer Carla Curry said she can’t smoke at home because it’s publicly subsidized housing, and cannabis remains illegal under federal law.
Curry, a 55-year-old grandmother who previously worked in a boat factory, said she’s had three back surgeries, and has a medical marijuana card.
She says customers share a bond because they have a common treatment for their pains and anxiety. In an area riddled with addiction to methamphetamine, users said cannabis is widely seen as benign or beneficial.
“It damn near killed me,” she said of the Percocet, Xanax and muscle relaxants. Now, she said, cannabis has allowed her to get off all those pills. “It changed my life,” she said.
As for her fellow customers, she said, “It’s like family. Everybody welcomes you.”

Chris Duke, of Johnston City, Illinois, shows a cannabis product to Carla Curry, of Christopher, Illinois, at the Luna Lounge on July 15, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Chris Duke, a professional licensed cannabis cultivator for IESO, works in his spare time at a converted bank vault in the lounge, showing customers how to use water pipes, bongs and other paraphernalia.
“People are surprised it’s such a chill environment,” he said. “Everybody’s having a good time laughing, having conversation. ... People say, ‘Hey, what are you smoking?’ Everybody shares. People actually mingle and talk to other people.”
Impediments remain to opening smoking sites in Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to allow consumption sites remains stalled in the City Council, while state legislation to expand consumption sites and cannabis tours failed to pass last session, but is likely to be reconsidered.

 

[bulllee]

Chicago to allow expansion of recreational marijuana stores​

Published 5 hours ago



Chicago is easing zoning restrictions that will allow recreational marijuana stores to expand.
The City Council on Monday voted to lift the cap of seven marijuana zones in the municipality while limiting the number of retail stores, Chicago real estate news site The Real Deal reported.
The city, the largest in Illinois, has permitted 18 adult-use cannabis retailers so far; there are 110 statewide.



The approved proposal will also shrink the downtown zone where marijuana retailers aren’t allowed to operate, though they’ll still be banned from opening on a strip between Michigan Avenue and State Street as well as south Michigan Avenue.
Marijuana retailers can now open without special approval from Chicago regulators.
Retailers will be permitted where manufacturing operations are allowed as long as they are 650 feet from a residence.
This also means cannabis retailers can bypass the zoning lottery to sell marijuana.

 

[bulllee]

NEWS BRIEF

3 more businesses sue Illinois over unsuccessful marijuana license bids​

Published 3 hours ago



Three companies seeking marijuana business licenses are the latest to file suit against Illinois regulators, alleging their applications for cultivation and transportation permits were wrongly rejected or that they weren’t given an opportunity to rectify errors.

According to Law360, the plaintiffs include Prairie State Cannabis, Cannabus and ia GP, all of which filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court last week.
Lawsuits brought by losers in competitive bidding processes have long been the norm in the cannabis industry, and plenty of marijuana licenses in legal U.S. markets across the nation have been won through such lawsuits.
But Illinois has had more than its fair share of litigation over its marijuana licensing process and its social equity program.
For example, when state regulators announced in fall 2020 that only 21 of 900 applicants would be considered for a pool of 75 retail licenses, lawsuits followed.
And when the state announced a new plan to allow applicants to correct errors in their paperwork, even more lawsuits were filed.

 

[ataxian]

NEWS BRIEF

3 more businesses sue Illinois over unsuccessful marijuana license bids​

Published 3 hours ago



Three companies seeking marijuana business licenses are the latest to file suit against Illinois regulators, alleging their applications for cultivation and transportation permits were wrongly rejected or that they weren’t given an opportunity to rectify errors.

According to Law360, the plaintiffs include Prairie State Cannabis, Cannabus and ia GP, all of which filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court last week.
Lawsuits brought by losers in competitive bidding processes have long been the norm in the cannabis industry, and plenty of marijuana licenses in legal U.S. markets across the nation have been won through such lawsuits.
But Illinois has had more than its fair share of litigation over its marijuana licensing process and its social equity program.
For example, when state regulators announced in fall 2020 that only 21 of 900 applicants would be considered for a pool of 75 retail licenses, lawsuits followed.
And when the state announced a new plan to allow applicants to correct errors in their paperwork, even more lawsuits were filed.

Chicago go!
CIVILIZATION is wonderful!

 

[bulllee]

Curaleaf cannabis store workers unionize in Worth, Illinois​

By MJBizDaily Staff
October 22, 2021
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Workers at a Curaleaf Holdings cannabis dispensary in Worth, Illinois, are joining the United Food and Commercial Workers after a yes vote in a union election, Local 881 of the UFCW said.
Multistate operator Curaleaf operates 10 dispensaries in Illinois, according to the local union’s news release.
Union organizing in the cannabis industry has increased during the pandemic amid employee anxiety and as concerns rise over workplace health and safety as well as demands for higher wages and benefits.
According to Local 881’s news release, Curaleaf’s Worth dispensary employees cited issues such as inadequate wages, scheduling, lack of benefits and the need for more COVID-19 protections.
The National Labor Relations Board is expected to certify the results of the election in seven days, barring objections, the release noted.
Local 881 has already negotiated cannabis contracts with other dispensaries in Illinois owned by Massachusetts-based Curaleaf and Chicago-based Cresco Labs.
“Illinois welcomed the cannabis industry with open arms and the larger companies, like Curaleaf, are clearly reaping all the benefits and posting major revenue gains,” Local 881 UFCW President Steve Powell said in the release.
“It’s clear now that the companies need to be held accountable for how they operate and more importantly how they treat their workers.”
Curaleaf shares trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol CURA and on the over-the-counter markets as CURLF.

 

[momofthegoons]

Illinois Judge Rules Weed Odor is Not Probable Cause For Searches​

Illinois has ruled that the smell of cannabis alone is not enough to search a vehicle. This is in line with the state’s current stance on cannabis possession.

An Illinois judge ruled last week that the odor of raw cannabis is not sufficient grounds for police to search a vehicle without a warrant during a traffic stop.

Daniel J. Dalton, Associate Judge of the 14th Judicial Circuit, issued the ruling in response to a motion to suppress evidence in the case of Vincent Molina, a medicinal cannabis patient arrested for marijuana possession last year.

In December 2020, Molina was a passenger in a vehicle traveling on Interstate 88 in Whiteside County, a rural area of northwestern Illinois, when it was pulled over for speeding by a state trooper. After claiming that he smelled raw cannabis, the trooper performed a search of the vehicle and arrested Molina for misdemeanor cannabis possession after discovering 2.6 grams of flower.


Molina was arrested despite the decriminalization of small amounts of cannabis in Illinois in 2019 with the passage of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. The law also legalized regulated sales of adult-use cannabis, which began in the state in January 2020.

Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional​

James Mertes, an attorney specializing in criminal and constitutional law who is representing Molina in the case, said in a telephone interview that his client was accused of possessing cannabis that “was not being transported in accordance with the law.”

Mertes argued in court that the search was unconstitutional because the trooper did not have probable cause to search based solely on the aroma of marijuana.


“In order to search a vehicle, of course, a police officer must have probable cause to believe that a crime is occurring,” he explained. “The odor of raw cannabis no longer provides that probable cause to believe a crime is occurring, because there is just as much probable cause to believe that no crime is occurring when the officer smells raw cannabis.”

The judge agreed, ruling in a decision handed down on Friday that “the court finds the odor of raw cannabis alone is insufficient to establish probable cause,” according to local media reports.

Dalton found that the law enforcement officer “did not indicate any other reason for his suspicions or his search other than the smell of raw cannabis” and noted that “Molina did provide a medical use license to (the trooper) prior to the search of the vehicle.”


“There are a number of wholly innocent reasons a person or the vehicle in which they are in may smell of raw cannabis,” he wrote in his decision.

Dalton added that to rule otherwise would subject “not only the defendant, but also any person in Illinois aged 21 or above, in a position where they could exercise their rights under The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act only to forfeit their rights under the… United States Constitution and/or… the Illinois Constitution, even though they have acted wholly within the bounds of the law. The court declines to impose this untenable situation upon the defendant or any similarly situated person.”

“This was a momentous decision,” Mertes told reporters after Dalton handed down his ruling.

“It represents an important and necessary expansion of our constitutional protections,” Mertes added. “Today’s decision protects citizens from unreasonable searches based upon conduct that is no longer illegal.”

Although the state has the option of appealing Dalton’s decision, Mertes believes the ruling could set a precedent for similar cases.

“It does have significant impact in shaping the law and I think it’s a logical extension of the law in light of the fact that cannabis possession has been decriminalized in the state of Illinois,” he told High Times.

“The decision of whether to appeal today’s ruling belongs to the government,” Mertes said. “If the state does appeal, we will continue to vigorously defend the constitutional rights of our client at the appellate levels.”

After Dalton granted the motion to suppress the evidence, Molina said that he is “honored to have been part of such an important decision.”

“This case was much more important than me,” he added. “It was about our right to be free from unreasonable searches for legal conduct. I am just grateful to have been a part of protecting that right.”

 

[bulllee]

Illinois adult-use cannabis sales exceed $1.2 billion through November​

By MJBizDaily Staff
December 7, 2021

Adult-use cannabis sales in Illinois have exceeded $1.2 billion with one month left in the year, according to monthly sales figures released by the state’s Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
The figures include $120.7 million of recreational cannabis sold in November, with more than $81.7 million sold to Illinois residents and $39 million-plus sold to out-of-state residents.
The November figure represents a 60.6% sales increase over November 2020, when Illinois reported adult-use cannabis sales of nearly $75.2 million.
Year-to-date adult-use cannabis sales in Illinois totaled almost $1 billion at the end of September and surpassed that milestone in October.
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July was the record month for adult-use marijuana sales in the state, with sales approaching $128 million.
The 2021 MJBizFactbook projects Illinois recreational cannabis sales will reach $1.2 billion-$1.5 billion this year and will grow to $3.3 billion-$4 billion by 2025.

 

[momofthegoons]

Illinois House Approves Workplace Protections For Cannabis Consumers​

Adults in Illinois who use legal cannabis during their free time would be protected from losing their jobs under a bill approved Thursday by the state’s House of Representatives. The measure, which now proceeds to the Senate, would prohibit most employers from firing workers or discriminating against job applicants merely for testing positive for marijuana use, with some exceptions.

“If we’re going to legalize the substance, you should talk about individual liberties and what people want to do on their weekends,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bob Morgan (D) told local NBC affiliate WGEM before the vote. “We should allow people to make good choices and not be discriminated against in the workplace because of those choices as long as it’s not affecting the workplace.”

In 2019, Illinois became the first state to legalize cannabis and launch a retail system for adults through an act of the legislature rather than a voter initiative. Last year the state saw more than $1 billion in sales of recreational cannabis products.

Morgan’s workplace protection legislation contains exceptions for certain categories of employees, for example jobs where workers operate heavy machinery or aircraft, carry a weapon, perform emergency services or perform other safety-sensitive tasks. Companies could also still fire employees for being impaired by cannabis while at work.

Organizations that exist to promote drug abstinence would also be exempt from the change.

The House passed an amended version of Morgan’s bill, HB 4116, on a 61–41 vote on Thursday, with one member voting present. Lawmakers approved two amendments, including one that replaced the original bill in its entirety and another that modified the new language.

The House Labor and Commerce Committee had approved the plan a day earlier.



As amended, the measure would protect workers who use lawful products off of job premises during nonworking hours and when the employee is not on call. Workers at entities that are contractors of the federal Department of Transportation would not receive the protection, nor would the bill add any additional protections under the state’s workers’ compensation law.

Some observers, including local news talk radio station WROK, have pointed out that the bill as currently written would apparently only protect workers who test positive for relatively low amounts of cannabis. Among the bill’s exceptions, it says employers can fire workers whose test results meet or exceed the legal limits set forth in the state’s vehicle code, which is meant to prohibit impaired driving.

In Illinois, drivers are considered impaired if they test positive for THC at a concentration of greater than 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood—or 10 ng/mL of other bodily fluids, such as saliva or urine—within two hours of driving. That limit is seen as too low by some critics, who note that THC levels can remain high in users’ bloodstreams days or weeks after demonstrable impairment.

Setting a similar limit for workers in general could mean employees’ jobs would be at risk even for off-duty cannabis use, for instance smoking a joint the night before work and then showing up the next morning, even if that worker demonstrates no indication of impairment.

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), which represents a number of large employers in the state, remains neutral on the bill, WGEM reported on Wednesday.

“We don’t believe that the bill is perfect. I think we are going to continue to work on the safety-sensitive position in the Senate,” said IMA’s government affairs director, Donovan Griffith. “But, to that point, Rep. Morgan has been working with the business community tirelessly. I believe all of the amendments he has made up to this point…have been done at the request of the business community.”

In Washington, D.C., meanwhile, a District Council committee this week unanimously approved their own workplace protections for cannabis consumers. Sponsored by Councilmember Trayon White (D), the measure would ban most work places from subjecting job applicants to pre-employment drug testing.

“This is an important step towards eliminating historic inequities of cannabis use,” White said at the committee hearing, “and ensuring that those who use cannabis medically or recreationally are not penalized in their work spaces [for what they do] on their private time.”

The moves are consistent with efforts in other states to loosen drug testing policies.

In New York, for example, the state Department of Labor announced last year that employers are no longer allowed to drug test most workers for marijuana. Prior to the passage of statewide legalization, local New York City officials had also established a ban on pre-employment screening for marijuana.

Drug testing and workplace issues related to cannabis use have become hot topics as more states move to end criminalization. Amazon, the country’s second-largest employer, has said that its earlier decision to end drug testing for cannabis will also be retroactive, meaning former workers and applicants who were punished for testing positive for THC will have their employment eligibility restored.

Lawmakers in the Senate and House have both included language in recent appropriations reports urging a review of employment policies for federal agencies with respect to personal use of cannabis. The House version passed in July, while the Senate Democrats’ report was released later last year.

The White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently issued a memo to federal agencies that says admitting to past marijuana use should not automatically disqualify people from being employed in the federal government.

 

[Bcbud]

Illinois Hits Marijuana Milestone With Record $1.5 Billion In Adult-Use Sales In 2022, Data Shows

Illinois marijuana sales reached a record high of more than $1.5 billion in 2022—and this past December marked the strongest sales month to date—officials announced on Friday. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) said that “2022 set adult use cannabis sales...

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