No Money For Black And Brown Cannabis Operators In Illinois: Former State Sen. Urges Gov. Pritzker For Change

Former Illinois state senator Rickey Hendon (D) and a group of marijuana business owners are urging Governor JB Pritzker (D) to make some changes around cannabis regulations to help minority dispensary license holders get their operations started.

Hendon is pushing for changes in the state cannabis regulatory framework which would allow minority dispensary license holders to sell interests to investors in an effort to get their stores up and running, reported ABC 7 News.

The group says they're having a difficult time raising money to move forward and launch their licensed cannabis shops.

According to a 2022 report, Black people accounted for merely 1% of dispensary owners in Illinois, where Blacks comprise nearly 15% of the state's 12.5 million people. 

Cannabis In Illinois: Recent Developments

Marijuana sales in the Prairie state have been impacted by inflation and economic difficulties across the nation, as best seen by the drop in the average price for marijuana. For the first time since Illinois legalized recreational marijuana in 2020, cannabis sales growth stalled this April totaling $132 million, versus $131.9 million in April 2022.

What’s more, Illinois was impacted by Missouri recreational market launch this February, with the total out-of-sate sales declining 21% year-over-year in April.

Last week, representatives of 17 organizations, the Alliance For Cannabis Equity called on state regulators to remedy the situation by reforming the social equity cannabis licensing before the legislative session ends in Springfield.

Ricky Hendon official photo