From day one of legalization, let’s just say, I had my doubts about the implementation and success of the Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program. This is not a judgment on the merits of writing social equity into a cannabis law but rather a comment on Illinois’ history with politics, big money, and countering interests. Here’s what I believe now.

After two years of legalization, the Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program does not and never will exist as it was written in the law. Whatever final form the Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program takes, it will not resemble Illinois’ law.

Illinois was supposed to be the state to demonstrate to other states how to write and implement social equity into a cannabis bill. So far, Illinois has demonstrated how difficult implementing social equity can be when faced against overwhelming amounts of money and countering interests, especially during a pandemic.

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When asked why I am so cynical about Illinois politics, I usually joke that I’m old enough to have three Governors go to prison in my lifetime. If I would have been born a few years earlier, I would have been alive during the imprisonment of four Illinois governors, including Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Dan Walker, and Otto Kerner. Since I have been alive, half of my governors have been sentenced to prison.

Others may call me cynical, and they have. Oh, they have. I accept that, though, because my cynicism is based on more than twenty years of experience reporting on life in Illinois. So when asked about the debacles with the Illinois Cannabis Social Equity Program, delayed licensing, and multiple cannabis lawsuits, my cynicism is loud and proud. We are exactly where I’d thought we’d be. Illinois being Illinois.

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