Illinois MMJ Applicants Still Waiting for Decision

Prospective dispensary owners and cultivators waiting to hear whether they’ve received a license to operate in Illinois were told the state is still evaluating applications, meaning decisions on who will win permits may not be made until after Jan. 1.

Regulators had a goal of naming license recipients before the end of the year.

“The state of Illinois is in the process of comprehensively evaluating all applications to operate cultivation centers and dispensaries,” the state’s website said in a Dec. 30 update.

Officials told the Chicago Tribune they’re doing a “comprehensive” review of each applicant to ensure those selected are the most qualified, and that they are “working hard to make sure this is done right.”

But the state has already been criticized for keeping secret the names of those who applied. One applicant’s name surfaced earlier this month when NBC reported that Hillary Clinton’s former political finance director David Rosen applied for a cultivation license.

Licenses are expected to be awarded to 21 growers and 60 dispensary owners. But competition is fierce — Illinois received 369 applications from those seeking licenses to open a medical marijuana business.