STATE PROGRAMS

The Community Invest – Cannabis Banking Services Program was created to support financial institutions in providing basic banking services to Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRB) in Illinois. As a result, CRBs will now have access to basic banking services starting on January 1, 2020.

Basic banking services include (1) the ability to write checks, (2) make direct deposits for payroll, and (3) make electronic or check payments of required licenses, fees, and taxes, among other services. The economic impact the Cannabis Banking Services Program provides is two-fold: basic banking services give CRBs the capacity to grow while also promoting the transition from an all-cash cannabis market, estimated to be worth over $136 million in Illinois, to a fully banked, regulated, and transparent market.

Banking Options for Legal Cannabis-Related Businesses Act

In February 2019, the Treasurer’s Office introduced the Banking Options for Legal Cannabis-Related Businesses Act. This act provides protections within the Illinois state banking laws for financial institutions that provide services to cannabis-related businesses. As of July 2019, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is prohibited from penalizing or discouraging a state bank or credit union solely for providing financial services to cannabis-related businesses.

Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program

Through its Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Social Equity Program, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is committed to connecting persons and communities that have been historically impacted by arrests and imprisonment for cannabis offenses to have opportunities to participate in the legal cannabis industry. Support to Social Equity Applicants is provided by:

Providing technical assistance and individualized support through our partner network for pre- and post-licensing, legal assistance, and loan application assistance.
Providing eligibility to receive 50 points (out of a possible total of 250 from IDFPR on their dispensary license application score or Receive 200 points (out of possible total 1000) from the Illinois Department of Agriculture on their craft grower, infuser, or transporter license application score.
Providing eligibility to pay reduced license and application fees.
Providing access to low-interest loans for starting and operating a cannabis-related business.

See here for the Social Equity Cannabis Loan Program for the purpose of providing financial assistance to social equity applicants. Click here to view the chart of eligible Cannabis Business Development Fund expenses.

Credit Union Act:

Financial Regulation – Illinois Credit Union Act

Banking Cannabis:

Banks, Trust Companies & Savings Institutions

Adult Program Details (April 26, 2022)

Adult Sales Figures

Illinois Adult Use Monthly Sales Figures

Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act: 410 ILCS 705

Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act

Purchase & Possession Limits

Sec. 10-10. Possession limit.

(a) Except if otherwise authorized by this Act, for a person who is 21 years of age or older and a resident of this State, the possession limit is as follows:

(1) 30 grams of cannabis flower;

(2) no more than 500 milligrams of THC contained in cannabis-infused product;

(3) 5 grams of cannabis concentrate; and

(4) for registered qualifying patients, any cannabis produced by cannabis plants grown under subsection

(b) of Section 10-5, provided any amount of cannabis produced in excess of 30 grams of raw cannabis or its equivalent must remain secured within the residence or residential property in which it was grown.

(b) For a person who is 21 years of age or older and who is not a resident of this State, the possession limit is:

(1) 15 grams of cannabis flower;

(2) 2.5 grams of cannabis concentrate; and

(3) 250 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product.

Customer Right to Privacy

(a) To protect personal privacy, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall not require a purchaser to provide a dispensing organization with personal information other than government-issued identification to determine the purchaser’s age, and a dispensing organization shall not obtain and record personal information about a purchaser without the purchaser’s consent. A dispensing organization shall use an electronic reader or electronic scanning device to scan a purchaser’s government-issued identification, if applicable, to determine the purchaser’s age and the validity of the identification. Any identifying or personal information of a purchaser obtained or received in accordance with this Section shall not be retained, used, shared or disclosed for any purpose except as authorized by this Act.

Medical Program Details (April 26, 2022)

Purchase & Possession Limit

(a) “Adequate supply” means:

(1) 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis during a period of 14 days and that is derived solely from an intrastate source.

(2) Subject to the rules of the Department of Public Health, a patient may apply for a waiver where a certifying health care professional provides a substantial medical basis in a signed, written statement asserting that, based on the patient’s medical history, in the certifying health care professional’s professional judgment, 2.5 ounces is an insufficient adequate supply for a 14-day period to properly alleviate the patient’s debilitating medical condition or symptoms associated with the debilitating medical condition.

(3) This subsection may not be construed to authorize the possession of more than 2.5 ounces at any time without authority from the Department of Public Health.

(4) The pre-mixed weight of medical cannabis used in making a cannabis infused product shall apply toward the limit on the total amount of medical cannabis a registered qualifying patient may possess at any one time.

Definition of “Usable Cannabis”

(w) “Usable cannabis” means the seeds, leaves, buds, and flowers of the cannabis plant and any mixture or preparation thereof, but does not include the stalks, and roots of the plant. It does not include the weight of any non-cannabis ingredients combined with cannabis, such as ingredients added to prepare a topical administration, food, or drink.

Opioid Alternative Pilot Program Details (April 26, 2022)

Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP) 2019

On August 28, 2018, Public Act 100-1114, the Alternative to Opioids Act of 2018, was signed into law – making changes to the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. The Public Act created the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP), which allows access to medical cannabis for individuals who have or could receive a prescription for opioids as certified by a physician licensed in Illinois.

Click here for OAPP statistics.

Illinois Program News

July 2020

Executive Order in Response to COVID-19 (COVID-19 Executive Order No. 43)

Illinois Executive Order No. 43 in Response to Covid-19

Summary: the Governor of Illinois signed an executive order that indefinitely suspends the issuance of 40 craft grower licenses, 40 infuser licenses, and an unknown amount of transportation licenses due to their regulatory agency’s focus on coronavirus. This is a significant blow to the state’s social equity efforts, as these licenses were meant to present opportunities to those living in disadvantaged communities or with previous marijuana convictions. Tucked away in this disappointing news is something interesting that’s largely flown under the radar: the state’s intention to support the establishment of community college cannabis vocational programs. This was undoubtedly meant to complement those social equity efforts. It doesn’t appear this initiative has been abandoned, but the application period that was set to end today has been extended to September.

Additional Licensing Updates

On July 29th, 55 Conditional Adult-Use licenses were awarded to the pool of applicants that received at least 85% of the total 250 application points. This is the first step in Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement of three licensing lotteries to distribute 185 licenses to operate adult-use cannabis dispensaries that will be held in July and August of 2021. Additionally, over 200 people across the state have qualified to receive Craft Grow, Infuser, and Transporter licenses, the first set of licenses to be awarded under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA).

Illinois State Contacts

State Cannabis Regulatory Authority

Cannabis – Adult Use

Phone:

1 (888) 473-4858

Questions can also be emailed to:

FPR.AdultUseCannabis@illinois.gov

Cannabis – Medical

Phone:
1 (888) 473-4858

Questions can also be emailed to:

FPR.MedicalCannabis@illinois.gov

State Banking Regulatory Authority

Division of Banking:

https://www.idfpr.com/banking.asp

Division of Financial Institutions:

https://www.idfpr.com/DFI.asp

Banks, Trust Companies & Savings Institutions:

https://www.idfpr.com/Banks/CBT/CBT.asp

Phone: 1 (888) 473-4858

Chicago Office:

555 West Monroe Street, 5th Floor

Chicago, IL 60661

Springfield Office:

320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor

Springfield, IL 62786

Bank Look Up:

https://www.idfpr.com/LicenseLookUp/Banks/licenseinfo.asp

Credit Union Look Up:

https://www.idfpr.com/DFI/CUD/cud_main.asp

Subscription to Email Notifications:

https://www.idfpr.com/Banks/CBT/CORPACT/2003-Prior/EmailNotification.asp

Illinois

Programs

Dispensaries

Geography

Regulatory Agencies

Sales Data

Financial Institutions

IDFPR: Banks, Trust Companies & Savings Institutions

Illinois State Treasurer: Cannabis

Adult Sales Figures

Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act: 410 ILCS 705

Medical Cannabis Patient Program Statistics

2021 Annual Report

Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act: 410 ILCS 130

Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP) 2019

July 2020

State Cannabis Regulatory Authority

Cannabis – Adult Use

Cannabis – Medical

State Banking Regulatory Authority