Illinois Opens its 100th Social Equity Cannabis Dispensary

ILLINOIS, July 12 - IDFPR Leadership attends the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Champaign

CHAMPAIGN - Today, the Pritzker Administration announced that SEquity Ventures (LLC dba The Dispensary Champaign) became the 100th social equity cannabis dispensary to open its doors in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issued a full adult use cannabis dispensary license to The Dispensary Champaign on June 6, 2024, who applied for and was selected in the Social Equity Criteria Lottery (SECL) and met the lottery's criteria.

"From day one of legal cannabis sales in Illinois, my administration has been committed to making sure we don't sacrifice a fair, equitable opportunity to join the industry - while also undoing decades of wrongs in the failed War on Drugs - just for the economic gains," said Governor JB Pritzker. "More than three years later, we've consistently learned and made our industry more accessible, while also seeing strong, consistent year-over-year revenue growth."

The Dispensary Champaign celebrated this major milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony at their new storefront located at 1826 Glen Park Drive, Champaign, IL. The ceremony was attended by IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr., Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer Erin Johnson, and other industry leaders.

"We are extremely proud of The Dispensary Champaign and all of the other 99 social equity dispensaries that have opened in our state thus far," said Erin Johnson, Illinois' Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. "Illinois will continue to support all of its licensees as our market continues to mature."

"One hundred dispensaries owned by social equity applicants is a testament to the hard work by the Administration, lawmakers, and stakeholders in ensuring we create a process that's accessible to everyone, no matter their gender, race, or where in Illinois they call home," said IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. "This includes recognizing challenges and improving on them for the benefit of future applicants. I'm proud of the simplified application process we've created and look forward to utilizing it in welcoming even more professionals to the most equitable cannabis industry in the country."

"We're very excited to have been selected and to be part of the Illinois social equity program," said The Dispensary Champaign owner Jeff Soenksen. "We're grateful to IDFPR for their exceptional service and professionalism during the process to date. We're even more excited that we've completed the build out and state inspection for our dispensary so we can start serving the Champaign community."

The Pritzker Administration remains committed to creating the most diverse cannabis industry in the country. Since The Dispensary Champaign received their full adult use cannabis dispensary license, eight additional social equity applicants have received their licenses for a total of 218 - both to social equity applicants and medical cannabis dispensaries - throughout the state. The full list of dispensaries is available on IDFPR's website here.

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