Today, Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 3222, also known as the cannabis omnibus bill. Though the bill contains several provisions for consumers, medical patients, and licensed businesses, Pritzker mostly touted the bill’s new regulations on intoxicating hemp products.

Effective immediately, the law:

1. Created the Illinois Hemp Act and regulatory rules for hemp products
2. Doubled cannabis purchase limits for medical patients, in-state customers, and out-of-state customers
3. Created a social equity experience lottery for infuser licenses, including hemp business operators
4. Allowed medical patients to purchase products from all adult-use dispensaries at the medical tax rate
5. Added dispensary pickup and drive-through services
6. Increased cannabis possession limits for in-state residents and out-of-state residents
7. Established a cannabis transporter storage site program
8. Expanded transporting organization operating hours to any time of day
9. Provided fee waivers and reductions for small businesses
10. Increased square feet of canopy space for craft growers to 14,000
11. Added disciplinary action against licensees for engaging in a pattern of nonpayment or late payment for goods or services to a cannabis business establishment
12. Created enforcement mechanisms targeting anti-competitive practices
13. Added hardship fee waivers for craft grower, infuser, and transporter license and renewal fees
14. Allowed relocation applications for adult-use dispensing organization licensees
15. Reduced video surveillance retention and camera storage requirements
16. Added a warning label specifically targeted to medical patients
17. Authorized telehealth appointments for medical cannabis certifications
18. Extended dispensary hours of operations
19. Doubled the threshold for certain minor possession offenses
20. Removed third-party security contract mandates
21. Updated ownership and investment disclosure requirements
22. Extended Illinois’ community college cannabis training program
23. Officially expanded qualifying conditions to include endometriosis, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, and female orgasmic disorder
24. Made other technical and administrative changes

Quotes from stakeholders involved:

“Instead of letting an ambiguous marketplace keep putting people at risk, Illinois is taking action to protect consumers of all ages, especially children, from misleading packaging and labeling,” said Pritzker. “This landmark legislation closes the intoxicating hemp loophole while bolstering equity and oversight and expanding medical access. Illinois is committed to cultivating a cannabis industry that benefits diverse businesses across the state and prioritizes accessibility, and I am proud to sign this measure into law.”

“Illinois has led the nation in building a cannabis industry that prioritizes both equity and public safety, and SB 3222 builds on that progress,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “By protecting young people from unregulated intoxicating hemp products and creating clear standards for the industry, we are ensuring consumers are safer while preserving opportunities for diverse businesses and communities across our state.”

“I have fought for years to bring order and fairness to these markets, and working with our House colleagues, we finally got it done,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood). “This is about protecting people, keeping our promises, and keeping Illinois at the forefront nationally.”

“This bill accomplishes two important goals at once: it gets unregulated intoxicating hemp products off the streets and out of the hands of kids, and it also helps legitimate cannabis businesses compete,” said House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago). “I’m proud of the collaboration that happened across chambers to help small, social equity cannabis entrepreneurs thrive in our state while keeping our products regulated and keeping Illinoisans safe.”

“This marks a groundbreaking step in providing crucial consumer protections for users of cannabis and hemp products,” said Mario Treto, Jr., Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). “Illinois continues to lead the nation in building a responsible, consumer‑focused cannabis industry.”

“This bill marks a giant step forward for medical patients, social equity operators, and the cannabis market as a whole,” said Erin Johnson, Illinois’ Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. “This legislation modernizes Illinois’ cannabis regulation by bringing the much-needed reforms that patients, consumers, and industry have been asking for, and further cements our role as a national cannabis policy leader.”

“With this law, medical cannabis patients will now have easier access to products that can help provide relief from a variety of debilitating medical conditions and symptoms,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “In addition, thanks to Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly, the legislation will provide much needed oversight for intoxicating hemp products, ensuring that such products are properly regulated and safe for those who use them.”

“SB 3222 provides a long-needed framework for regulating and strengthening the Department’s Industrial Hemp Program to protect the state’s Hemp growers and consumers,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA). “This law will give the Department more tools to continue building on the work already done to make Illinois one of the most equitable cannabis markets in the nation while also strengthening health and safety protections for patients and adult use consumers across the state.”

“As Illinois continues to build an equitable cannabis industry, this law is a major step forward in making the State’s programs more accessible, coordinated, and responsive to the needs of social equity licensees,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “With new flexibility to share information, streamline reporting, and deliver financial assistance, DCEO will be able to more effectively advance the goals of equity and economic opportunity across Illinois’ growing cannabis industry.”

After passing the House 77-31 and the Senate 47-10, the bill was sent to Pritzker on June 10. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joint’s newsletter here.

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