Illinois monopoly
The Illinois Cannabis Play, A Three-Act Comedy of Politricks. I was enjoying a wonderful coffee over lunch today when I got a very nice message asking if I had or would review the new transportation bills. Now, normally, I like to pace myself with these deep dives, especially since I’m out of town this week and wanted to keep things light before heading to Florida.
But I thought, “Sure, why not? I know the transportation licenses well.” After all, I was helping a group apply for the first round back in the day before someone in a backroom basically told me, “If you like your clients, don’t let them waste their money, those licenses will be useless.”
So, I thought, let’s take a look at these bills and see if anything has changed.
Then I started digging.
And reading.
And reading.
And realized…
This isn’t three individual posts over the next three days.
This is one glorious masterpiece of legislation working together in perfect harmony, like a beautifully orchestrated play, a tragicomedy of politricks brought to you by the great state of Illinois.
And starring in today’s theatrical performance we have:
Act I: SB1966 – Written and directed by Senator Cristina Castro, featuring dispensaries getting even more control over delivery.
Act II: HB2926 – A parallel script by Representative Bob Morgan, because why write a new bill when copy-paste exists?
Act III: HB3074 – A special “social equity” twist from Representative Sonya Harper, where social equity applicants are given licenses they can immediately sell to MSOs.
The plot? State lawmakers claim they are expanding cannabis delivery and helping social equity applicants, but in reality, they are handing corporate dispensaries even more control while pretending to fix the mess they made with transporters last time.
So, grab your popcorn, take a seat, and enjoy the greatest political legislative production Illinois has put on this year. I promise you, it’s a must-read.
Thanks for F'nAround with me! Illinois lawmakers are once again pushing cannabis legislation that benefits corporate operators over independent businesses. They roll out new cannabis laws under the guise of social equity, market expansion, and consumer access but when you follow the money and power, the truth becomes clear.
With the introduction of Senate Bill 1966 (SB1966), House Bill 2926 (HB2926), and House Bill 3074 (HB3074), Illinois is not expanding opportunity. They are consolidating control.
This follows the pattern of previous cannabis licensing programs, where independent operators especially minority-owned businesses faced significant disadvantages.
Let’s break it all down.
Act I: SB1966 & HB2926 The “More Access, No Competition” Scam
These bills are being framed as a win for consumers allowing dispensaries to offer drive-through and home delivery services.
What They Claim:
Expanding consumer access to cannabis.
Making purchasing easier through drive-throughs and delivery.
Strengthening security, verification, and compliance.
What They Actually Do:
No new delivery licenses. These bills do not introduce any new licenses for delivery-only businesses or transporters. This means only dispensaries most of which are owned by multi-state operators (MSOs) can run delivery services, blocking independent operators from entering the market.
No independent competition. The only entities allowed to offer delivery are those that already have dispensary licenses.
Dispensaries now control delivery. Independent transporters who fought for their licenses are completely ignored.
Cherry-picked service areas. There is no requirement to serve all communities, meaning dispensaries can selectively serve wealthier, high-volume areas while leaving social equity zones behind.
SB1966: The Drive-Through & Delivery Expansion Bill
Sponsor: Senator Cristina Castro What it Does:
Allows dispensaries to operate drive-through windows for cannabis sales.
Permits dispensaries to deliver cannabis directly to customers’ homes.
Eliminates the distinction between medical and non-medical cannabis purchases.
HB2926: The Mirror Image with a Medical Focus
Sponsor: Representative Bob Morgan What it Does:
Contains identical provisions to SB1966 but with additional focus on medical cannabis accessibility.
The Real Impact:
Big cannabis gets bigger. Only dispensaries can run delivery operations, meaning MSOs win while independent operators lose.
More money = more control. The biggest players with the most resources will dominate the market immediately.
No role for independent transporters. The very businesses the state once licensed for transportation are now shut out.
Politicians who helped craft previous “social equity” legislation are now ensuring corporate cannabis gets everything.
Act II: What About the Original Transporters?
If Illinois really wanted fairness, why are the original cannabis transporter license holders being ignored?
The Facts:
Transporters were supposed to be a gateway for minority-owned businesses into the cannabis industry.
The state delayed issuing their licenses while letting MSOs transport their own products.
By the time transporters got their licenses, corporate cannabis already controlled the supply chain.
Where is the Priority for the Transporters Who Were Already Shut Out?
Illinois owes independent transporters a head start on any new delivery license.
Instead, they are being cut out again.
The Receipts: Lawsuits & Discrimination
Fall 2024: A group of minority- and women-owned transport companies sued the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) for discrimination and destroying their businesses. The lawsuit claims that delays in licensing gave MSOs an unfair head start, putting independent transporters at a severe disadvantage.
Now, the same thing is happening again with delivery. Instead of prioritizing transporters, SB1966 and HB2926 hand delivery straight to dispensaries.
The Copy-Paste Legislation: SB1966 and HB2926 Were Written Together
If these bills look like they were written by the same people, it’s because they likely were. A direct comparison of SB1966 and HB2926 reveals identical language, phrasing, and provisions, both amending the same sections of Illinois cannabis law to allow drive-throughs, delivery, and broader dispensary control. This is not a coincidence. It suggests a coordinated effort to pass these changes without scrutiny, disguised as separate legislative efforts. Meanwhile, HB3074 the so-called social equity bill is written differently, with no clear connection to the other two. This means while corporate cannabis expansion was carefully drafted to ensure success, social equity was treated as an afterthought. If Illinois lawmakers truly cared about fairness, they would have taken the same level of coordination to protect independent operators and social equity businesses as they did to expand dispensary power.
Act III: HB3074 The Fake Social Equity Bill
The state knows they cannot pass a cannabis expansion bill without a “social equity” component, so HB3074 was introduced to make it seem like they care.
What They Claim:
A new social equity delivery license to help impacted communities.
A fair scoring system for awarding licenses.
A $500 application fee to lower the barrier to entry.
What They Actually Do:
No required holding period. Social equity winners can immediately sell their licenses. Who buys them? The MSOs.
No startup funding or grants. New operators will be forced to sell their licenses to survive.
No prevention of MSO interference. There is nothing stopping corporate cannabis from controlling these licenses through ownership structures.
No guarantees on delivery regions. Delivery services are not required to serve social equity areas.
Act IV: The Master Plan Corporate Control Over Every Sector
If these bills pass as written, this is what Illinois cannabis will look like in five years:
Cultivation? Locked down by MSOs.
Dispensaries? Controlled by corporate operators.
Processing? Owned by the same big players.
Delivery? Structured so that only corporate cannabis can succeed.
Independent operators? Shut out.
Social equity? Just a marketing slogan.
Politicians who created “equity” laws? Now helping MSOs take everything.
This is not about expanding access. It is about ensuring big cannabis controls everything.
Act V: The Solution… Real Equity, Real Competition
If Illinois lawmakers actually cared about social equity, they would:
Give the Screwed Transporters First Access Independent transporters should get priority for delivery licenses, with a head start before dispensaries if they already accepted bibes and have to give them some.
Ban Corporate Takeovers of Social Equity Licenses No MSO, employee, or family ties to social equity licenses. Mandatory five-year holding period before a license can be sold.
Fund Real Social Equity Businesses State-backed grants and loans so small businesses do not have to sell their licenses.
Cap MSO Involvement in Delivery Prevent MSOs from controlling more than 10 percent of delivery licenses if they accepted bribes and have to give them some.
Require Delivery to Serve All Communities Prevent cherry-picking profitable urban areas while leaving social equity zones underserved.
Final Verdict: This is a Trojan Horse for Corporate Cannabis
Illinois keeps repeating the same pattern.
The original transporters were set up to fail.
Now, social equity delivery licensees are being set up to fail.
Meanwhile, MSOs get exactly what they want, complete market control.
If Illinois wants to fix this mess, these bills must be rewritten to prevent another corporate takeover.
Otherwise, social equity in Illinois cannabis will be nothing more than a lie.
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1966
Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Cristina Castro
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/104/SB/10400SB1966.htm
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2926
Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Bob Morgan
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/104/HB/10400HB2926.htm
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3074
Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Sonya M. Harper
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/104/HB/10400HB3074.htm
Thanks for F'nAround with me!