Illinois BioTrack Provider

On June 25, 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law HB 1438, which ends cannabis prohibition and replaces it with a system to tax and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and over.

In addition to legalizing possession and use for adults, it expands the current medical cannabis licensing system, includes automatic expungement for cannabis offenses, adds the ability for medical patients to grow cannabis at home, and offers significant benefits to communities hit hardest by inequities that were part of the war on cannabis.

Illinois legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, effective January 1, 2020. Recreational marijuana is also commonly referred to as “adult use” cannabis to distinguish it from medical marijuana, which Illinois legalized in 2014.

Currently, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) oversees the implementation and administration of many aspects of the adult use program. This entails the licensing and managing of dispensaries and dispensary agents.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), meanwhile, continues to regulate medical cannabis cultivation centers, and similarly supervises specific adult use cannabis businesses, namely cultivation centers, craft growers, infusers, transporters, and community college vocational programs.

Below you will find information regarding licensing procedures for dispensaries, growers, and processors. We keep this page up-to-date when new information becomes available. Please note that this page is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.