Illinois marijuana regulators awarded 48 additional craft grow licenses in an additional step to diversify the industry.
All the permits went to social equity applicants, including half to majority Black- or Hispanic-owned businesses.
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The number is a dozen fewer than the 60 licenses expected to be issued in this round, and the formal announcement comes two weeks after industry officials said growers were starting to be notified of the awards.
While all the new licenses were issued to social equity applicants, half are either majority white-owned, part of a partnership group or business owners who didn’t disclose their racial status.
Social equity applicants are defined as individuals who live in so-called “disproportionately impacted areas.” That includes areas with high rates of poverty, joblessness, marijuana arrests and convictions.
Recreational marijuana sales launched nearly 2½ years ago, but the equity program, once lauded as a potential blueprint, has been slow
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