ILLINOIS

Final equity-lottery lawsuit argued; ruling pending

Well-Being Holistic Group’s challenge to the 2020 dispensary lottery — the last of dozens of suits over the social-equity rollout — is argued in Cook County. Judge Patrick Stanton, signaling skepticism of the plaintiff, is set to rule at a May 21 hearing.

Licensing pause continues amid buildout lag

Equity-license rollout remains slow: as of early 2026 only about 64% of licensed social-equity dispensaries were operational, years after their awards, while incumbent MSOs retained early market dominance.

First social-equity dispensary opens

The first dispensary owned by a social-equity license holder opens — nearly three years after the application window opened — after corrective lotteries and litigation delayed awards.

Craft grower licenses issued after delay

The Illinois Department of Agriculture issues craft grower licenses after a judge lifts a stay; the awards had been held up more than a year by scoring and equity-provision litigation.

Cleanup law adds licenses, three lotteries

Public Act 102-0098 restructures the troubled selection process, adding 110 dispensary licenses and creating three separate lotteries to resolve tie scores from the first round.

Lottery disputes spawn dozens of lawsuits

The first dispensary lottery draws 937+ applications for 75 licenses. KPMG scoring produces clusters of perfect scores and ties, triggering dozens of lawsuits in Cook and DuPage counties and stalling awards.