ILLINOIS – As lawmakers work through the final days of the legislative session, some Illinois cannabis business owners are pushing for changes they say would reduce costs and make it easier to operate.

Among their top priorities are adjustments to security and surveillance requirements that dispensary owners argue were put in place when recreational cannabis was still new to Illinois. They say the industry has matured and that some regulations should be updated to reflect that reality.

What’s being proposed:

One of the biggest concerns for dispensary owners involves security requirements.

Under current Illinois law, cannabis dispensaries must contract with third-party security companies. Some operators say that can cost between $180,000 and $200,000 a year.

Supporters of proposed changes say trained employees could be allowed to handle certain security responsibilities, giving businesses more flexibility while maintaining safety standards.

Dispensary owners are also seeking changes to video surveillance requirements.

Current law requires cannabis businesses to store security footage for 90 days. Operators say that can be costly, particularly for smaller businesses, and argue that most issues requiring video review are identified within hours or days.

Industry perspective:

Edie Moore, co-owner of Sway Dispensary in Chicago, said many of the current regulations were created when lawmakers were uncertain about what legal recreational cannabis would look like.

“They threw everything at the wall, everyone was really scared of what recreational cannabis was gonna be like,” Moore said. “And now that we’re several years in, most of us are like, why do we have this? We don’t need this. This is onerous and an overreach.”

Moore said the industry is not asking to eliminate security measures, but rather to modernize regulations that operators believe are unnecessarily burdensome.

What’s next:

The Illinois General Assembly is expected to conclude its spring legislative session this weekend.

“Illinois cannabis is a very young industry,” Moore said. “It’s not a cautionary tale. It’s just really kind of an unfinished story, and we really need the opportunity to finish it, to be treated like any other business and just be able to operate.”

When the Iowa Cubs return to Principal Park in Des Moines on June 2, the Triple-A team will likely be bringing back a familiar face.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsel told reporters in St. Louis, Mo., on May 29 that super utilityman Matt Shaw would likely join Iowa when the team opens a six-game series against Toledo that Tuesday.

“Matts doing super well,” Counsell said during a pregame meeting with scribes. “The plan kind of remains intact that we think he’s going to be able to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday in Iowa. So, assuming everything progresses like it progresses, he’s going to have basically a full weekend of kind of normal pregame stuff. He should be good to go on Tuesday in Iowa.”

Shaw was placed on the injured list back on May 22 with mild back tightness, retroactive to May 20. He was replaced on the big-league roster by prized Cubs prospect Pedro Ramrirez, who tore apart opposing pitching during his first stint in Triple-A in 2026.

More: How Cubs prospect Matt Shaw made himself into one Minor League Baseball’s best hitters

Shaw, 24, was hitting .242 (23-for-95) with six doubles, three home runs, three stolen bases and a .291 on base percentage to go along with a .400 slugging percentage in 42 games with Chicago this season. He’s bounced around the field this season and provided an important option off the bench for the Cubs.