An Illinois judge lifted a stay order put in place to prevent state regulators from awarding 60 adult-use craft cannabis cultivation licenses.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the new order – issued by Sangamon County Judge Gail Noll – enables the state to announce the winners of the grow permits.
The licenses have been in limbo since December.
The move sets the stage for a major industry expansion in Illinois, which currently has only 21 licensed cultivation operations, the Tribune reported.
An additional 40 craft cultivators also will eventually come online.
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The growers were awarded licenses last summer, but, according to the Tribune, they were still mostly in the build-out phase and not yet contributing to the supply chain.
An additional 185 retail licenses – which will add to the existing 110 stores in Illinois – are also mired in litigation, and it’s uncertain when those permits will be awarded.
