Pritzker signs bill geared toward more oversight, equity in cannabis industry in Illinois

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday celebrated new laws with a goal to create more equity and oversight in the cannabis industry.

Pritzker held a ceremonial bill signing on Thursday at SWAY Cannabis Dispensary, 3340 N. Halsted St.

SB 3222 prohibits the sale of intoxicating hemp products such as Delta-8, THC-P, and HHC to minors. These products have been sold outside Illinois' regulated adult-use cannabis market, and have often been marketed in packaging designed to appeal to children or misrepresent their contents, according to the Governor's office.

Effective in November, hemp products will require childproof packaging. Misleading marketing and packaging intended to appeal to children will be banned, and the current cannabis regulatory framework will be applied to intoxicating hemp products.

The legislation also has a second goal of making the cannabis industry more accessible and equitable.

One goal is to eliminate barriers for medical cannabis patients, in part by allowing all Illinois dispensaries to register as medical cannabis dispensaries.

Another is to advance social equity for cannabis growers and infusers by introducing income-based hardship waivers, allowing more time for businesses to become operational, and reducing costs for businesses.

"Illinois has the most diverse and equitable cannabis industry in the country, and has created more than 16,000 new jobs, and it has helped our economy grow," Pritzker said.

Following the legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois in 2020, social equity cannabis license holders in Illinois — who were part of a program sold as a chance to repair the harm done to communities of color hit hardest by the War on Drugs — faced years of delays and red tape even as the state saw bullions of dollars in cannabis sales.

The legislation Pritzker signed Thursday is also geared toward improving efficiency and regulatory oversight by optimizing how state agencies can share information, administer financial assistance programs, and otherwise streamline regulatory operations to the cannabis industry.