In the final hours of the legislation session, Illinois House and Senate passed the most comprehensive amendments to laws pertaining to the cannabis and hemp industries in the state. The bill now heads to Governor J.B. Pritzker to sign into law.

The cannabis-related amendments were attached, as a “shell bill,” to Senate Bill 3222 this weekend. SB3222, originally filed with amendments to the Environmental Protection Act, had already passed the Senate. House legislators passed the cannabis and hemp amendments to SB3222and then sent the bill back to the Senate for a final vote.

SB3222’s hemp- and cannabis-related changes included:

1. Creating the Illinois Hemp Act and regulatory rules
2. Creating a social equity experience lottery for infuser licenses, including hemp business operators
3. Doubling cannabis purchase limits for medical patients, in-state customers, and out-of-state customers
4. Allowing medical patients to purchase products from all adult-use dispensaries in Illinois
5. Adding dispensary pickup or drive-through services
6. Establishing a cannabis transporter storage site program
7. Increasing square feet of canopy space for craft growers
8. Adding disciplinary action against licensees for engaging in a pattern of nonpayment or late payment for goods or services to a cannabis business establishment
9. Hardship fee waivers for craft grower, infuser, and transporter license and renewal fees
10. Allowing relocation applications for adult-use dispensing organization licensee
11. Craft growers retaining at least 60 days of camera storage in any location
12. Expanding transporting organization operating hours to any time of day
13. Adding a warning label specifically targeted to medical patients
14. Other technical changes

Check back soon for more details about several of these amendments.

“Our goal with this legislative package is to ease regulatory burdens on cannabis businesses, especially those small socially-equity businesses to help them grow and thrive and compete,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi. “And also to address the Federal changes (related to hemp).”

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