CHICAGO – Today, the Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office (CROO) published the Disparity and Availability Study for adult use cannabis licenses in Illinois finding that Illinois currently has the most diverse cannabis industry in the nation. The study, as required by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA), examined 559 adult use cannabis licenses issued by the State to more than 400 businesses during the study period, which spanned from the start of adult use cannabis sales, January 1, 2020, through January 31, 2023.
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The disparity study found the CRTA successfully resulted in license ownership diversity for each license type with new licenses over the study period. Over the study period, 59% of dispensary licenses were issued to minority- or women-owned businesses (compared to 21% for the medical cannabis market). For all licenses issued by the State, that number jumps to 60%. Additionally, minority- or women-owned businesses held 63% of craft grower, 61% of infuser, and 74% of transporter licenses. Additionally, the study found nearly 84% of the State’s Direct Forgivable Loans went to minority- or women-owned businesses. According to this independent review, these demographics make Illinois the most diverse cannabis industry in the nation. ? Since 2023, IDFPR has conducted another Social Equity Criteria Lottery and issued 55 more conditional licenses, all going to social equity designated businesses.
“We’re incredibly proud of our emerging cannabis industry, and we’re fully committed to making this an industry where people most affected by the War on Drugs can start their own business and thrive,” saidGovernor JB Pritzker. “That's why Illinois commissioned the largest, independently reviewed cannabis-focused disparity study in the nation, and the results show that our administration’s policies focused on social equity have paid off. Illinois is first in the nation when it comes to diversity in the cannabis market, and this report provides concrete steps we can take to continue supporting new businesses in a highly competitive marketplace.”
Majority-Owned Companies | 2020 | 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Companies | Percent | Number of Companies | Percent | ||
Gender | Women | 1 | 3% | 21 | 16% |
Men | 31 | 97% | 113 | 84% | |
Race | Black | 0% | 36 | 27% | |
Latino/Latina/Hispanic | 0% | 7 | 5% | ||
Asian | 0% | 4 | 3% | ||
Coalition of non-White owners with no one race or ethnicity holding the majority | 0% | 19 | 14% | ||
Additional or 2+ Races | 0% | 3 | 2% | ||
White | 32 | 100% | 41 | 31% | |
Unknown or Unreported | 24 | 18% | |||
Total | 32 | 100% | 134 | 100% |
“Illinois set out to create the most equitable cannabis industry in the nation, and this study confirms we’re on the right track,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, though — each license represents an opportunity for communities long left behind. We’re not just changing an industry; we’re changing lives."
