State touts diversity report, but most specialty cannabis businesses have not become operational While Illinois’ cannabis market is booming and the state has made progress in diversifying new licensees, significant hurdles remain for businesses hoping to enter the expanding market, according to an independent review of the industry. Celebratory news releases have marked several
New entrants to marijuana market still struggle against entrenched businesses Medical marijuana patients can now purchase cannabis grown by small businesses as part of their allotment, Illinois’ top cannabis regulator said, but smaller, newly licensed cannabis growers are still seeking greater access to the state’s medical marijuana customers. Illinois legalized medicinal marijuana beginning in 2014,
Firm predicts higher hemp and cannabis sales in Illinois this year Oregon-based Whitney Economics says Illinois will generate about 2.2 billion dollars in cannabis sales this year, an increase of more than $200 million over last year. Whitney predicts sales will increase steadily through 2030 before hitting a plateau and leveling off around 3.4 billion
$1.6 billion of product sold in 2023 as out-of-state sales decline.
Once again, the Rantoul Village Board has voted against allowing a cannabis business to open in their town. The village board rejected a proposal Tuesday night to allow applications to open a cannabis growing facility in Rantoul, with Mayor Chuck Smith breaking a 3-3 tie vote.
The Rantoul Village Board has agreed to vote next week on whether to allow a cannabis growing operation to open in the village. Rantoul trustees agreed to take the vote after hearing a new presentation Tuesday night from Blake Schilb.
COLLINSVILLE — Collinsville City Manager Mitch Bair has managed a budget that’s seen between $1.5 million and $2 million in extra sales tax revenue since 2020 from the addition of recreational marijuana. But the sales tax generated from Illinois dispensaries is expected to drop now that Missouri approved its first shops to sell recreational marijuana
CHAMPAIGN – Danville has no plans to welcome a third cannabis dispensary anytime soon. The Danville City Council on Tuesday denied a special-use zoning permit to open a new dispensary in the Lynch Road corridor. That vote came after the decision to amend the city’s zoning ordinance to allow one or more cannabis
PEORIA – When Illinois legalized recreational cannabis, state legislators sought to cut those disproportionately affected by marijuana arrests into the new industry’s profits. The path to entering the industry, though, has not been easy. “If anything, it’s been increased hardships, trying to pursue it legally,” says Lisa Palmgren. There’s a heavy, grassy smell in Palmgren’s
URBANA — When people think cannabis, they often think marijuana. But the cannabis plant takes many different forms, from medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) to industrial hemp. A new class at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to break down all the different uses of the crop and provide a foundation for students interested in entering the
Hemp is a hard crop to grow — just ask Jay Kata. “We were filthy and we were dirty and we were sweaty and it sucked and it was hot and it was miserable…
DANVILLE – The Danville City Council approved a zoning permit for a cannabis cultivation center, and funding for Fourth of July fireworks at its meeting on Tuesday night. (See the agenda and meeting materials at this link.) Council members voted 10-1 to grant a special use permit allowing Bourbonnais-based Alexander Real Properties to build the
Like many small business owners, Amy Manganelli has taken a financial hit since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. So, a few weeks ago, she decided…
Gov. Pritzker: 5-Part Reopening Plan Dependent On Infections SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ governor on Tuesday outlined a five-phase plan for reopening the state as the threat from COVID-19 subsides, but there were no surprises here — the speed with which normal activity returns still depends on vigilance against the coronavirus. Under pressure to show signs of
Suit Seeks Illinois Inmates’ Release Due To Coronavirus CHICAGO — A new federal lawsuit seeks an court order directing state officials “to drastically reduce Illinois’s prison population” on grounds that hundreds of inmates are particularly vulnerable to catching and dying from the coronavirus. The lawsuit filed Thursday in Chicago names ten inmates but seeks class-action