A new cannabis dispensary license lottery will be taking place early in the upcoming year.
Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the timeline for the next round of 55 licenses that will be up for grabs.
The announcement follows the release of 192 conditional dispensary licenses earlier this year, which included the license for the Kush 21 dispensary in Jacksonville, which is set to open sometime in January. All of the 192 conditional licenses were social equity applicants.
IDFPR will begin accepting applications for the 55 additional conditional cannabis dispensary licenses on Monday, January 30, 2023.
The 55 licenses will be distributed across the 17 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Regions. All applications will be submitted online through the Department’s website.
IDFPR officials say those interested in applying should review the rules, a mock application, a proposed timeline, and other relevant documents available now on the Department’s Adult Use Cannabis program webpage.
IDFPR currently anticipates accepting applications for two weeks, through Tuesday, February 14, 2023. The drawing for the licenses will follow soon after and officials say those chosen will then have 45 days to prove certain social equity criteria.
More information can be found on the IDFPR’s Adult Use Cannabis Program website at IDFPR dot Illinois dot gov.