In many ways, 2022 was a wild year for cannabis in Illinois — long-running court fights were resolved, hundreds of new licenses were issued, and hemp-derived derivatives like Delta-8 exploded in popularity.
Nationally, President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions, and called for a review of how the drug is classified under federal law.
But newcomers trying to break into the industry in Illinois kept running into obstacles — mainly, a lack of funding. As a result, most Black and Latino entrepreneurs were shut out, prices for consumers remained among the highest in the nation, and the black market continued to thrive. Efforts to change the laws fizzled, and more concerns were raised about the connection between cannabis and psychosis.
But there are signs that a shift is coming in the new year, with potential changes including home delivery, more new stores and lower prices.
“I’m optimistic that 2023 is going to be much better than 2022,” said former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, who plans to open a dispensary in Chicago’s South Loop this spring. “It would be hard for it not to be. 2022 was rough.”
After two years of delay, cannabis advocates were optimistic when the state issued 342 new craft grower, infuser and transporter licenses and 192 dispensary licenses by mid-2022. The craft grower licenses are for small startups that aim to offer specialty strains and products, similar to craft brewers.
But only a handful of those businesses have…
