Illinois releases last nine months of medical cannabis sales totals
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recently released the last nine months of medical cannabis sales totals after launching a new medical cannabis patient registry system on April 29, 2025. IDPH noted in the release of the May 2025 sales totals that “A new Medical Cannabis Patient Registry System was launched. Numbers of patients reported may vary between systems.” On average, the new sales totals were around $6 million less than the totals before the implementation of the new registry system.
Continue reading →Review: Strawberry Lemonade High Dose Drink Mix by Vibations
Infused drinks and drink mixes have started to mature as a market segment, reaching towards higher dose options to match consumer preferences. MariMed imprint label Vibations has followed this trend, introducing a high-dose version of its drink mixes. I recently stopped at Thrive Anna and picked up a pack of High Dose Strawberry Lemonade Drink Mixes to review.
Continue reading →Cannabis Research Institute to launch Advisory Committee
The Cannabis Research Institute (CRI) recently announced the launch of its Advisory Committee, a group of leaders from across research, policy, public health, and the cannabis field who will help guide the institute’s long-term direction.
Continue reading →Review: Triple Infused Gummies by Ogeez!
Giving R&D feedback on cannabis products before they’re launched is one of my favorite perks of the job. One R&D product that stood out was the Triple Infused Gummies by Ogeez!. So when Ogeez! recently launched its new Triple Infused “Rocket Pop” Gummies, I picked up the two versions from The Dispensary Champaign to review: the 10-pack of Triple Infused Gummies and the Big Triple Infused Gummy.
Continue reading →CRI launches Community Partnership Committee
The Cannabis Research Institute (CRI) recently announced the launch of its Community Partnership Committee (CPC) to help ensure CRI’s seed funding aligns with community priorities and accountability.
Continue reading →Illinois releases first two months cannabis sales for 2026
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) released the recreational cannabis sales totals for the first two months of 2026. January sales totals reached $110,686,391.60, with 4,368,184 total items sold. January in-state sales totals were $89,561,937.85 and out-of-state sales were $21,124,453.70. February sales totals reached $104,760,737.80, with 4,155,452 items sold. February in-state sales totals were $84,175,921.64 and out-of-state sales were $20,584,816.14.
Continue reading →UIUC Hemp Club and nuEra to host Cannabis Career Fair
The Hemp Club (THC), a registered student organization at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and nuEra have partnered to host a two-day Cannabis Career Fair highlighting the wide range of careers within the cannabis industry. The goal is to give students and community members the opportunity to connect directly with industry professionals, learn about career pathways, and better understand the many sectors that make up the cannabis space.
Continue reading →Review: Strawberry Gummies by Tales & Travels
I’m still binging through edibles. For this review, I chose gummies from Revolution’s spin-off brand, Tales & Travels. I picked up from Revolution Normal the Strawberry Indica Split-To-Dose Gummies.
Continue reading →A Friend Indeed program will continue assisting Veterans
For more than five years, Illinois News Joint created its A Friend Indeed program. We started this program before the 2018 Farm Bill and plan to continue it after the new hemp ban takes place on Nov. 12, 2026.
Continue reading →Review: Frozen Grapes by Cookies
I have been chasing grape-flavor strains these last few months, so when I stopped in at Cookies Bloomington, I picked up an eighth of Frozen Grapes by Cookies.
Continue reading →Grown Rogue to operate former PharmaCann cannabis facility
Grown Rogue International announced that on March 11, 2026, it entered into a series of definitive agreements with its affiliate, Grown Rogue Management Associates (GRMA), and SEA Craft, LLC to operate a cannabis production facility in Dwight, Illinois. The 66,000-square-foot-facility was formerly operated by PharmaCann. PharmaCann shuttered its operations and initiated layoffs in late 2025/early 2026 because of financial pressure and lease defaults.
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