Illinois Extends Craft Grower Deadline

Illinois regulators have extended the operating deadline for some craft cannabis growers in the state.

State Department of Agriculture Said Its Governing Regulations “allow, at the Department’s discretion, for craft producers to receive extended operations for justifiable reasons shown” and that, therefore, “all due to a number of factors, including: of craft grower license holders to extend operations” due to ongoing Covid-19 impact and supply chain issues. “

Under the state’s adult cannabis program, “a craft grower license allows the owner to grow, dry, cure, and package cannabis.” According to the Illinois cannabis attorneywhich Provides a primer on licensing:

“To apply for this license, a completed application must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture. The amount of cannabis a license holder can grow is limited by acreage. You may have up to 5,000 square feet of canopy space for your plants.Please note that this space includes only the space occupied by the plants and does not include walkways or walkways between plants. This amount may be incrementally increased in increments of 3,000 square feet based on the division’s market needs, capacity, and the licensee’s compliance history.The maximum space allowed by the division is for flowering plants. 14,000 square feet for.”

According to the Department of Agriculture, “We previously approved an extension to the operational deadline for Craft Growers in 2021 that must be operational by March 1, 2023,” but “currently, we have added additional restrictions that apply to all Craft Growers in 2021. We have approved an extension, extending the operational deadline to February.” 1, 2024.

In 2020, the sale of legal adult-use cannabis went into effect in Illinois. This is the result of a bill signed by his Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker the previous year.

“As the first state in the nation to fully legalize adult-use marijuana through the legislative process, Illinois embodies democracy at its best: a bipartisan, ethical, non-partisan effort to make life better for all. It’s a deep commitment.” Pritzker said at the time“Legalizing cannabis for adult use would make an important and overdue change to our state, and it would be right. Efficiently combined to erase the cannabis-related record of nonviolent criminals, our state is leading with equity and justice in its approach to cannabis legalization and its regulatory framework. Because of the work of those here today and the many people across the state, Illinois is moving forward with empathy and hope.”

Since then, the state has not looked back. In his “state of the state” speech last month, Pritzker said, Said Marijuana legalization “has created more than 30,000 jobs since 2020, making Illinois home to the most diverse cannabis industry and some of the largest companies in the country.”

January, Pritzker administration advertised 2022 will be a record year for cannabis sales, with “adult cannabis dealers selling $1,552,324,820.37 worth of product, an increase of more than 12% from 2021 and more than 131% from 2020, with cannabis sales in the first year is legally permitted for sale in Illinois for the first time.”

“When we signed the Cannabis Control Tax Act into law in 2019, we set out with an ambitious goal: to create the most equitable and economically thriving cannabis industry in the country. The data shows that we are on track to make that idea a reality.” Pritzker said in a January statement“Not only have we grown our previous sales record by more than 12% to a total of over $1.5 billion, but we have also helped our first socially equitable adult cannabis retailer open its doors to business. I saw it in 2023.