The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois has submitted a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzer, urging him to use a portion of the state’s cannabis tax revenue to support social equity applicants, who have been awaiting one of Illinois’ long-delayed licenses, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
In the most recent of a series of licensing delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois indefinitely postponed issuing craft grow, infuser and transporter licenses July 1, and applicants have since said they are in limbo and quickly losing money as they await their licenses, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The Cannabis Industry Association of Illinois said in its letter to Pritzker that the state’s effort to diversify the industry, which was written into Illinois’ adult-use cannabis law, is at risk as many social equity applicants run out of capital, according to the news outlet.
The association recommends in the letter that Illinois use some of its cannabis tax revenue to reimburse social equity applicants for the costs associated with the delays, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The state launched legal adult-use cannabis sales Jan. 1 and collected more than $52 million in cannabis tax revenue as of June 30.
The Cannabis Industry Association of Illinois is launching its own efforts to aid social equity applicants, according to the Chicago Tribune, and is offering free memberships to qualified applicants through the end of the year.
The association will also form a Social Equity Advisory Committee, the news outlet reported, to help support social equity applicants through to-be-determined efforts such as lobbying, mentoring and training.
