Can Small Cannabis Companies In Illinois Break Into The Medical Marijuana Market?
Medical marijuana patients in Illinois can now purchase cannabis grown by small businesses as part of their allotment, according to Erin Johnson, the state’s Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer.
Illinois boasts the “most diverse cannabis business ownership” in the country, at least according to claims made when the state celebrated the opening of its 100th social equity dispensary.
Despite this progress, however, there is still unequal access to the market, analysts noted in a recent Capitol News article. While Johnson confirmed that dispensaries can now sell craft-grown products from social equity licensees to medical patients, new, small-scale growers continue to face challenges in gaining broader access to medical customers. These smaller businesses are part of Illinois’ efforts to diversify the cannabis industry since the state legalized recreational use in 2020.
Unequal Access In Illinois’ Medical Cannabis Market
Illinois’ medical marijuana (MMJ) program, in place since 2014, has not expanded its dispensary network since 2018. This has left smaller businesses at a disadvantage. Most of the state’s MMJ sales happen through dual-purpose …