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Pritzker to sit down with stakeholders after uproar over cannabis lottery process

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Illinois

Amid a flurry of complaints that the marijuana licensing process is flawed, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office announced Wednesday that his team will meet with those affected to address the issue.

“The Governor’s office is currently working to schedule meetings with interested stakeholders, however, meeting dates and times have not been finalized,” Pritzker’s press office wrote in response to a Tribune inquiry. “The goal of the Governor and the administration is to take time to ensure that the process is fair and equitable.”

Just 21 of some 700 applicants qualified for a lottery to determine who will get 75 new recreational marijuana retail licenses. Since the finalists were revealed early this month, state regulators said they have indefinitely delayed the lottery to review objections.

State Rep. La Shawn Ford said the governor’s office will meet with lawmakers who’ve objected to the process, including members of the Black and Latino caucuses. Many of the finalist companies involve politically connected or big-money businessmen, including former Chicago police Superintendent Terrence Hillard, and restaurant owner Phil Stefani, which critics say flies in the face of the program’s goal of adding marginalized newcomers to the largely white-owned industry.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 3:17 am

Comments

Next time, sit down with stakeholders *first*.

Comment by JoanP Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 9:31 am
Garbage in garbage out.

Comment by Sonny Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:39 am
I do seriously love it when Legislators are angry at the results of a bill they voted for.

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:20 am
Maybe direct some of the displeasure towards your former colleagues La Shawn. They sold this legislation to the GA and the Governor.

Comment by Howard Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:42 am
My best guess is that it worked out exactly as the lobbyists, GA members and Team Pritzker hoped it would.

Comment by Back to the Future Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:47 am
JoanP is right on..

Comment by flea Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:56 am
GA: “If we’re going to legalize pot, we don’t want to see dispensaries on every corner!!!”

Same GA, 14 months later: “Why is it so impossible to get a dispensary license?!?”

Comment by sulla Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:55 pm
This is a debacle. This should be run this like a real business. Don’t limit the number of licences. If a person qualifies for a licence then they should be able to get it. If 500 people qualify for a licence and want to sell cannabis, so be it. Let the free market ultimately decide on the winners and losers.

Comment by Groucho Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 1:30 pm
First things first…next time?

Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 3:32 pm

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