410 ILCS 705/15-35.10

(410 ILCS 705/15-35.10)

Sec. 15-35.10. Social Equity Justice Involved Lottery for Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses.

(a) In addition to any of the licenses issued under Section 15-15, Section 15-20, Section 15-25, Section 15-30.20, or Section 15-35, within 10 business days after the resulting final scores for all scored applications pursuant to Sections 15-25 and 15-30 are released, the Department shall issue up to 55 Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses by lot, pursuant to the application process adopted under this Section. In order to be eligible to be awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License by lot, a Dispensary Applicant must be a Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant.

The licenses issued under this Section shall be awarded in each BLS Region in the following amounts:

(1) Bloomington: 1.

(2) Cape Girardeau: 1.

(3) Carbondale-Marion: 1.

(4) Champaign-Urbana: 1.

(5) Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: 36.

(6) Danville: 1.

(7) Davenport-Moline-Rock Island: 1.

(8) Decatur: 1.

(9) Kankakee: 1.

(10) Peoria: 2.

(11) Rockford: 1.

(12) St. Louis: 3.

(13) Springfield: 1.

(14) Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan: 1.

(15) West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan: 1.

(16) East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan: 1.

(17) South Illinois nonmetropolitan: 1.

(a-5) Prior to issuing licenses under subsection (a), the Department may adopt rules through emergency rulemaking in accordance with subsection (kk) of Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. The General Assembly finds that the adoption of rules to regulate cannabis use is deemed an emergency and necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.

(b) The Department shall distribute the available licenses established under this Section subject to the following:

(1) The drawing by lot for all available licenses established under this Section shall occur on the same day when practicable.

(2) Within each BLS Region, the first Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant drawn will have the first right to an available license. The second Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant drawn will have the second right to an available license. The same pattern will continue for each subsequent applicant drawn.

(3) The process for distributing available licenses under this Section shall be recorded by the Department in a format selected by the Department.

(4) A Dispensary Applicant is prohibited from becoming a Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant if a principal officer resigns after the resulting final scores for all scored applications pursuant to Sections 15-25 and 15-30 are released.

(5) No Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant may be awarded more than 2 Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses at the conclusion of a lottery conducted under this Section.

(6) No individual may be listed as a principal officer of more than 2 Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses awarded under this Section.

(7) If, upon being selected for an available license established under this Section, a Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant exceeds the limits under paragraph (5) or (6), the Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant must choose which license to abandon and notify the Department in writing within 5 business days on forms prescribed by the Department. If the Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant does not notify the Department as required, the Department shall refuse to issue the Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant all available licenses established under this Section obtained by lot in all BLS Regions.

(8) If, upon being selected for an available license established under this Section, a Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant has a principal officer who is a principal officer in more than 10 Early Approval Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses, Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses, Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses, or any combination thereof, the licensees and the Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant listing that principal officer must choose which license to abandon pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 15-36 and notify the Department in writing within 5 business days on forms prescribed by the Department. If the Dispensary Applicant or licensees do not notify the Department as required, the Department shall refuse to issue the Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant all available licenses established under this Section obtained by lot in all BLS Regions.

(9) All available licenses that have been abandoned under paragraph (7) or (8) shall be distributed to the next Qualifying Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant drawn by lot.

Any and all rights conferred or obtained under this subsection shall be limited to the provisions of this subsection.

(c) An applicant who receives a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License under this Section has 180 days from the date of the award to identify a physical location for the dispensing organization's retail storefront. The applicant shall provide evidence that the location is not within 1,500 feet of an existing dispensing organization, unless the applicant is a Social Equity Applicant or Social Equity Justice Involved Applicant located or seeking to locate within 1,500 feet of a dispensing organization licensed under Section 15-15 or Section 15-20. If an applicant is unable to find a suitable physical address in the opinion of the Department within 180 days from the issuance of the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, the Department may extend the period for finding a physical address an additional 540 days if the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License holder demonstrates a concrete attempt to secure a location and a hardship. If the Department denies the extension or the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License holder is unable to find a location or become operational within 720 days of being awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License under this Section, the Department shall rescind the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License and award it pursuant to subsection (b) and notify the new awardee at the email address provided in the awardee's application, provided the applicant receiving the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License: (i) confirms a continued interest in operating a dispensing organization; (ii) can provide evidence that the applicant continues to meet all requirements for holding a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License set forth in this Act; and (iii) has not otherwise become ineligible to be awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License. If the new awardee is unable to accept the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, the Department shall award the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License pursuant to subsection (b). The new awardee shall be subject to the same required deadlines as provided in this subsection.

(d) If, within 180 days of being awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, a dispensing organization is unable to find a location within the BLS Region in which it was awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License under this Section because no jurisdiction within the BLS Region allows for the operation of an Adult Use Dispensing Organization, the Department may authorize the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License holder to transfer its Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License to a BLS Region specified by the Department.

(e) A dispensing organization that is awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License under this Section shall not purchase, possess, sell, or dispense cannabis or cannabis-infused products until the dispensing organization has received an Adult Use Dispensing Organization License issued by the Department pursuant to Section 15-36.

(f) The Department shall conduct a background check of the prospective dispensing organization agents in order to carry out this Article. The Illinois State Police shall charge the applicant a fee for conducting the criminal history record check, which shall be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the record check. Each person applying as a dispensing organization agent shall submit a full set of fingerprints to the Illinois State Police for the purpose of obtaining a State and federal criminal records check. These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records now and hereafter, to the extent allowed by law, filed with the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases. The Illinois State Police shall furnish, following positive identification, all Illinois conviction information to the Department.

(g) The Department may verify information contained in each application and accompanying documentation to assess the applicant's veracity and fitness to operate a dispensing organization.

(h) The Department may, in its discretion, refuse to issue an authorization to an applicant who meets any of the following criteria:

(1) An applicant who is unqualified to perform the duties required of the applicant.

(2) An applicant who fails to disclose or states falsely any information called for in the application.

(3) An applicant who has been found guilty of a violation of this Act, who has had any disciplinary order entered against the applicant by the Department, who has entered into a disciplinary or nondisciplinary agreement with the Department, whose medical cannabis dispensing organization, medical cannabis cultivation organization, Early Approval Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, Early Approval Adult Use Dispensing Organization License at a secondary site, Early Approval Cultivation Center License, Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, or Adult Use Dispensing Organization License was suspended, restricted, revoked, or denied for just cause, or whose cannabis business establishment license was suspended, restricted, revoked, or denied in any other state.

(4) An applicant who has engaged in a pattern or practice of unfair or illegal practices, methods, or activities in the conduct of owning a cannabis business establishment or other business.

(i) The Department shall deny the license if any principal officer, board member, or person having a financial or voting interest of 5% or greater in the licensee is delinquent in filing any required tax return or paying any amount owed to the State of Illinois.

(j) The Department shall verify an applicant's compliance with the requirements of this Article and rules adopted under this Article before issuing a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License.

(k) If an applicant is awarded a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License under this Section, the information and plans provided in the application, including any plans submitted for bonus points, shall become a condition of the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License and any Adult Use Dispensing Organization License issued to the holder of the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, except as otherwise provided by this Act or by rule. Dispensing organizations have a duty to disclose any material changes to the application. The Department shall review all material changes disclosed by the dispensing organization and may reevaluate its prior decision regarding the awarding of a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, including, but not limited to, suspending or permanently revoking a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License. Failure to comply with the conditions or requirements in the application may subject the dispensing organization to discipline up to and including suspension or permanent revocation of its authorization or Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License by the Department.

(l) If an applicant has not begun operating as a dispensing organization within one year after the issuance of the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License under this Section, the Department may permanently revoke the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License and award it to the next highest scoring applicant in the BLS Region if a suitable applicant indicates a continued interest in the Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License or may begin a new selection process to award a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License.

(Source: P.A. 102-98, eff. 7-15-21; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)