Illinois officials have issued new licenses to 37 existing recreational marijuana dispensaries that will now allow them to also sell medical cannabis.
The expanded opportunity for marijuana businesses comes as part of omnibus cannabis legislation that was passed by lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker (D) this session.
Last month, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) posted a new form that adult-use marijuana dispensaries can fill out in order to get permission to begin selling medical cannabis, which is taxed at a much lower rate than adult-use products.
IDFPR said in a press release on Thursday that the new move “greatly increases patient access across the state, while also eliminating unnecessary red tape for regulators and consumers alike.” It additionally gives newer dispensaries approved under social equity lotteries the chance to serve medical patients, “leveling the playing field for small businesses.”
“Expanding access to medical cannabis is an important step toward ensuring Illinois patients have more options to obtain the medicine they rely on,” Mario Treto, Jr., secretary of IDFPR, said. “More dispensaries means better options and increased convenience for medical patients, while still maintaining the regulatory safeguards that protect patients and promote a
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