The Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office (CROO) compiled and released Illinois’ Annual Cannabis Report for Fiscal Year 2025. The 144-page report incorporates data from seven state departments. This article highlights the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) portion of the report.

IDOA is the lead regulator for a broad swath of the cannabis industry in Illinois. The Division consists of three bureaus:

1) the Bureau of Licensing and Administration, which is responsible for issuing licenses, administering the Hemp Program, agent registration cards, and other programs

2) the Bureau of Inspections, which is responsible for the inspectors charged with ensuring a safe and healthy cannabis market in Illinois as well as reviewing blueprints and construction plans

3) the Bureau of Cannabis Testing, which has completed its State Cannabis Testing Laboratory as of December 2024. Full operational status for the State laboratory is projected for late 2026. In addition, the Division’s Legal and Building & Design Sections are well established.

At the time of this report, IDOA has issued licenses for:

-21 Adult-Use Cultivation Centers

-87 Craft Growers

-55 Infusers

-164 Transporters

-9 approved Cannabis Community College Vocational Pilot Program participants

Of those licensees, 21 Craft Grow licensees are operational, as well as 16 Infuser licensees, with dozens more of each license type engaged in the buildout of their facilities. The Department has also registered 6 cannabis testing labs. Of the 87 Craft Grow Licenses, 87 were issued to Social Equity Applicants. Of the 55 infusers, 54 of the licenses were issued to Social Equity Applicants. Of the 164 Transporters, 139 of the licenses were issued to Social Equity Applicants.

According to the report, for FY2026, the primary goal of the Bureau of Cannabis Testing is to fully staff and validate the laboratory, ensuring it operates with peak efficiency and scientific rigor. This will involve not only bringing the team to full capacity but also undertaking the critical task of validating all scientific methods. Once these foundational steps are complete, the lab will work toward obtaining full laboratory accreditation, a key milestone that will formalize its commitment to quality and accuracy. With these elements in place, the team can then confidently begin field sampling and reanalysis of cannabis materials to support quality assurance testing across the state.

The report also states that the Bureau of Licensing & Administration seeks to achieve the following in FY2026:

(1) Migrate all essential Cannabis Licensing functions into the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Division of Cannabis Regulation Portal

(2) Achieve full “Seed-to-Sale” functionality via the new Metrc System

(3) Submit a proposal to revise Title 8, Part 1300, CRTA Administrative Code in order to address high-priority CRTA compliance challenges

(4) Identify and test a Licensing Fee payment solution that would facilitate an increase in the number of “Operational” Craft Growers, Infusers, and Transporters.

The Bureau of Inspections states that it “is committed to advancing the development of the Cannabis Regulation Oversight Platform (CROP), enhancing its capabilities to streamline the reporting and consolidation of critical regulatory data. In parallel, we are prioritizing the recruitment of additional personnel to support the oversight of this rapidly expanding industry, with a focus on onboarding through a newly designed, innovative training program. Our efforts also include a renewed strategic emphasis on addressing product inversion, while reinforcing a consistent, standardized framework for compliance and enforcement across all operational levels.”

FY2025 updates for IDOA include:

1. Finalize and begin implementation of the new Seed-to-Sale System. This system, Metrc, launched in July of 2025 with further improvements planned in FY2026.
2. Enacted updated USDA hemp rules to provide stability and greater safety for the Illinois Industrial Hemp Program
3. Continued updates to NLS licensing system to provide better and more efficient program support to licensees and agents.

FY2025 summary for IDOA includes:

1. In coordination with other agencies, IDOA implemented and went live with the Metrc Seed-to-Sale system, to provide greater transparency and increased efficiency for the cannabis industry in Illinois.
2. IDOA continues to work toward full functionality in the Testing Laboratory, with physical construction of the lab space being completed in 2025.
3. Completed switchover to NLS modules for product registrations and other processes, leading to greater efficiencies and responsiveness.

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