If you want to obtain a license to own and operate an Illinois adult use cannabis dispensary, your time has come. On October 1st, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), which is charged with implementing and administrating multiple aspects of the state’s adult use marijuana program under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the “Act”), made available the application form for new Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses.
These licenses, applications for which must be hand-delivered to the Department’s Chicago offices no later noon on January 2, 2020, are “conditional” in that they do not allow the licensee to purchase or sell marijuana until they have found a suitable location (which they must do within 180 days), passed an inspection by IDFPR, and paid the registration fee. All available conditional licenses will be issued no later than May 1, 2020.
Once these requirements are met, the Department will award the licensee an Adult Use Dispensing Organization License, which authorizes the holder to legally obtain and sell cannabis pursuant to the Act.
In a previous post, I discussed application fees, the number of licenses that the Department will issue, the criteria that the Department will use in choosing licensees, and general ownership requirements. Now that applications are available for preparation and completion, let’s discuss what is involved in the application itself.
In short, a lot.
Hundreds of Pages of Supporting Documentation Required
The application form itself is all of one page long, but the supporting documentation that must be gathered, prepared, and submitted is voluminous and comprehensive. This isn’t just a matter of making copies of existing records; applicants must develop detailed plans covering several aspects of dispensary operation. IDFPR will not consider any application that lacks the required exhibits.
In addition to the fee and Principal Officer application form, applicants must submit a:
- Table of Organization, Ownership and Control and Business Operating Agreements
- Dispensing Organization Agent Training and Education Plan
- Purchaser Education Plan
- Business Plan
- Recalls, Quarantine, and Destruction Plan
- Security Plan
- Inventory Monitoring and Recordkeeping Plan
- Proposed Floor Plan
- Operating Plan
- Plan for Community Engagement
- Diversity Plan
- Anonymized Document or Resume for Each Proposed Principal Officer (demonstrating education, knowledge, or experience in the cannabis industry)
- Financial Information
- Evidence of Status as a Social Equity Applicant, if applying as a Social Equity Applicant
- Labor and Employment Practices Plan (optional)
- Environmental Plan (optional)
- Evidence of Status as an Illinois Owner (optional)
- Evidence of Status as a Veteran (optional)
For each of the foregoing exhibits, IDFPR has established detailed and specific requirements as to what applicants need to include. Given how much is involved in preparing a dispensary application, January 2, 2020 doesn’t seem that far away. Aspiring Illinois cannabis entrepreneurs need to fire up their efforts immediately, if they haven’t already done so.
Need Help With Your Illinois Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary Application? Call Me Today.
If you are considering entering the legal cannabis industry in Illinois and have questions about the IDFPR application process and criteria, please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.
Looking to see what it would cost to do the documentation needed. Thanks