Weed industry watches end to legislative session in Springfield
The clock is ticking at the state capitol in Springfield. Lawmakers have the rest of tonight and then Saturday and Sunday.
And there are some big things on the line could affect hemp and marijuana businesses.
Lauren Scafidi spoke to Sway Dispensary in Lakeview about what they’re hoping for – and why they’re long overdue.
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.”
The Source: This story contains reporting from Fox Chicago’s Lauren Scafidi.
