Proposed Illinois Rule Change Would Allow Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation

Illinois officials have proposed changing the state’s cannabis cultivation rules in a major policy reversal to allow for outdoor grows, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Under the proposed rule change, outdoor cannabis flower would only be allowed to be used for extraction purposes — cannabis flower products would remain indoor-only.

Previously, the Illinois Department of Agriculture said the state’s requirement that cannabis needs to be grown in an “enclosed, locked” facility prohibited outdoor cultivation. But the agency is changing its tune following multiple legal challenges from licensed cultivators.

The new rule would allow licensed operators to grow outside of their existing facilities, although outdoor crops would need to be sectioned off with a chain-link fence and additional security measures.

Scott Redman, founder of the Illinois Independent Craft Growers Association, told the Tribune that the change would be a “game changer” for small growers.

“For those operating, it allows a faster and more economical route to expanding to the full (state limit of) 14,000-square-foot canopy. For the projects still in design, it can mean that one need not spend millions on lighting and HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) if it is outside the budget … This is a significant step forward for the industry as far as I am concerned.” — Redman, via the Tribune

In Illinois, only registered medical cannabis patients can grow their own cannabis at home.