The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has announced a Collinsville business is among seven more same-site adult use cannabis licenses, which will allow an existing medical cannabis dispensary to obtain an adult use dispensing license. This license will permit the dispensary to begin adult use cannabis sales at that location starting Jan. 1, provided the dispensary complies with zoning rules or other local laws. These recent approvals raise the total number of approved same-site licenses to 29. The list of dispensaries approved for adult use cannabis sales can be found here and includes HCI Alternatives, 1014 Eastport Plaza Drive in Collinsville.
In addition to opening adult use dispensaries at the same site of their medical cannabis dispensaries, existing medical cannabis dispensaries are permitted under the law to open a second site for adult use sales at a different location. In the coming months, new applicants, including social equity applicants, will have the opportunity to apply for an additional 75 adult use cannabis licenses. Social equity applicants are eligible for additional points on their application and for technical assistance, low-interest loans and fee reductions. More information about applying as a social equity applicant can be found here.
The department anticipates receiving additional applications for early approval adult use licenses as municipalities adopt relevant zoning ordinances regarding adult use cannabis.
Starting Jan. 1, the law permits Illinois residents who are at least 21 years old to legally possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, up to 5 grams of cannabis concentrate, and up to 500 milligrams of THC in a cannabis-infused product.