Chicago City Wire

A lawyer specializing in the cannabis industry said his clients will turn to litigation if the "social equity" lottery amendment to the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act introduced by state Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) clears the legislature. 

The amendment to House Bill 1443 would allow winners of the marijuana dispensary license lottery to be picked under a "social equity" rubric; according to the amendment text, a "social equity justice involved applicant" has either lived for at least five out of the last 10 years in a disproportionately impacted area or has been arrested or convicted of an offense eligible for expungement under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. 

Thomas Howard is a cannabis industry lawyer who says that if the amendment passes, his clients will sue. 

Howard said that dispensary license applicants who were not accepted in the first round can go into the second round, unless they qualify as a "social equity applicant" with 10 full-time employees, which is where the attorney said the litigation guarantee comes in. 

The lawyer feels the bill is too vague and litigation is going to happen, and suggests the bill is manipulating which dispensaries will get licenses. 

"What is this lottery going to do? No second round. 110 of the licenses that were supposed to go out in second round will now go out in this round," Howard said. "It was introduced on 4/20. I expected the federal bill. We didn’t get that. Instead we got this bill in Illinois which I think will just continue litigation for at least another year."