Social Equity Cannabis Initiative

The Social Equity Cannabis Initiative, designed by the UIC Law Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic (“CESEC”) in partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, seeks to reduce the legal barriers of entry into the emerging Illinois cannabis market for communities harmed by the war on drugs.

To reach this goal, we provide the following services to help Social Equity Applicants understand the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the “CRTA”) and other cannabis-related laws: (1) legal representation; (2) brief advising; and (3) legal technical assistance workshops.

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Note: The content presented below reflects the law at the time of creation/recording. Illinois cannabis law is an evolving area of law subject to regular changes occurring through the Illinois legislative, administrative, and court processes.

Social Equity Cannabis Initiative Rules

UIC Law Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic’s latest webinar video update from the Social Equity Cannabis Initiative. It covers legal and process updates on the conditional dispensary licenses issued in September 2022.

Social Equity Cannabis Initiative Rules

UIC Law Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic’s latest webinar video update from the Social Equity Cannabis Initiative. It covers legal and process updates on the conditional dispensary licenses issued in June 2022 and the new, simplified dispensary licensing system (which has significant opportunities for and changes affecting social equity applicants).

Legal Update on the Industry - July 2022

UIC Law’s Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic and presenter Justin Edge, Staff Attorney, discuss updates on the Illinois Cannabis Industry.

IDOA Session Badge

IDOA Deficiency Notices—Nonscoring Exhibits

The Illinois Legislature is proposing changes to the state’s cannabis laws. This presentation will teach attendees to address the following:

  • How to translate bill text and related legislative laws
  • How to identify tools for navigating through complex legislative proposals
  • How to self-advocate during legislative proposals
Legislative Advocacy Session Badge

Legislative Advocacy

The Illinois Legislature is proposing changes to the state’s cannabis laws. This presentation will teach attendees to address the following:

  • How to translate bill text and related legislative laws
  • How to identify tools for navigating through complex legislative proposals
  • How to self-advocate during legislative proposals
Dispensary Deficiency Q&A Session Badge

Dispensary Deficiency Notices: Follow-Up Q&A

This session is a Q&A-only session that serves as a follow up to the Dispensary Deficiency Notices: Top Tips on Responding. In the week that’s passed since the original session, you’ve done some work and may have some follow-up questions as a result. This session will help you get those answered in time to meet the March 5 deadline (11:59 p.m. CT).

Dispensary Deficiency IDFPR Sessions Badge

Dispensary Deficiency Notices: Top Tips on Responding

You’ve received a deficiency notice for your dispensary application and might be confused on how to respond.  This presentation addresses responding to your dispensary deficiency notice. Even if you might be familiar with deficiency notices after receiving or viewing our previous webinar for the IDOA deficiency, you still want to attend this session. Why? The IDFPR instructions and process are different enough to warrant a different response strategy.

Dispensary Deficiency IDOA Session Badge

Deficiency Notices: Top Tips on Responding

You’ve received a deficiency notice. You thought you provided the state everything necessary in your application. So what else are they looking for to cure it? This presentation offers top tips and best practices for responding to deficiency notices.

Zoning License Session Badge

Zoning & Craft Grower, Infuser, and Transporter Licenses

This presentation discusses the zoning component of the cannabis license applications that are now due by April 30, 2020. The webinar addresses what is required for the license applications, the process to receive a special-use zoning permit for your potential cannabis business, and what should you do if you can’t secure the zoning permit prior to the license application deadline?

Craft Growers Session Badge

Craft Grower, Infuser & Transporter License Requirements

This presentation discusses the requirements for applying for a social equity craft grower, infuser, and transporter license from the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), that are now due by April 30, 2020.

Dispensary Applicant Session Badge

Dispensary & Social Equity Applicant Requirements

This presentation discusses the requirements for applying for a social equity dispensary license from the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR), that were due by January 2, 2020.