626 qualify for Illinois cannabis retail licenses on rescored applications

It’s the FINAL COUNTDOWN on MJBizCon savings. Get your tickets by Thursday Sept. 28 for the 12th annual cannabis business conference, Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Las Vegas.


Candidates for a lottery to receive cannabis retail store licenses in Illinois jumped to 626 after the state rescored applications.

Only 21 applicants qualified for the lottery last year, but 97% now qualify for the social equity bonus, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The first of three scheduled lotteries will award 55 licenses out of a pool of 937 total candidates who submitted more than 4,500 applications. That lottery is set for July 29.

The eligible applicants qualified by scoring at least 85% of the maximum 250 points, instead of needing a perfect score, which was required last year.

Under the law that legalized recreational marijuana in Illinois, social equity applicants received a 20% bonus on their score.

An Aug. 5 drawing, also for 55 licenses, is set for social equity applicants who live in an area impacted by the war on drugs or have past arrests for marijuana-related offenses as well as scored 85% on the state’s scale.

Then, on Aug. 19, comes the originally planned lottery for 75 licenses that were expected to be issued in 2020.