Illinois
Illinois cannabis transporters say competitors operating without licenses
A group of licensed cannabis transporters have filed suit against Illinois regulators, claiming the state is allowing unlicensed operators to transport marijuana.
Those targeted in the suit say the dispute is more a matter of transporters having great difficulty getting any business in Illinois because growers can provide their own delivery service.
Thirteen transport companies filed the suit Tuesday in Sangamon County against the Illinois Department of Agriculture and its director, Jerry Costello II. An spokeswoman for the agency said it does not comment on pending litigation, but is not aware of any illegal transporters.
A transportation license allows the holder to deliver cannabis from a grower to retail stores around the state. It was seen as the easiest way for minority owners to break into the legal cannabis business. Transporters have the lowest barriers to entry and are much less costly to start than a cultivation or retail facility.
But many weren’t able to get hired because state law allows growers to ship their own products. Only 31 transport companies have been licensed, plus the 21 big cultivation centers.
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In January, the plaintiffs said, they reported an unlicensed transporter delivering cannabis to a store. The suit alleges that state officials said they didn’t have the staff to police such violations.
“As minority-owned cannabis transporters, it was difficult as it is to simply operate in the industry, but now the state is making that even harder,” said David Scott, owner of Vertical Management LLC in Bellwood. “We should not be punished for doing things the right correct way.”
Because cannabis remains illegal under federal law, federally chartered banks are generally prohibited from doing business in the industry. That means that most transactions must be paid by cash. Licensed transporters are required to have on-board cameras and location trackers, but unlicensed transporters don’t have to meet such requirements, creating a potential safety hazard.
The suit includes photos of an unidentified driver said to be delivering cannabis in a noncompliant Honda minivan.
The suit also accused Star IL Grow LLC, which operates Star Buds craft grower in Rockford and a dispensary in Burbank, of transporting its products to a dispensary in Chicago in February of this year before its license became “operational.”
Star Buds COO Ahmad Joudeh denied the claim, and shared a copy of his license, which was issued in July 2022.
“We do have a license,” he said. “You can’t just make false claims like that.”
Illinois
New report lists 5 Illinois cities among worst to get high in across the US
Illinois is dominating a new report about the best places to blaze it up across the country – but not how you might think.
Recreational cannabis was legalized for adult use in different states in 2023 and to catalog the growth of cannabis tourism, LawnStarter’s latest report ranks the Best Cities to Get Stoned in 2024.
They also prepared a list for the worst cities to get stoned in the U.S., where Illinois captured half the spots.
The online platform that allows to reserve lawn care and mowing services through its website doubles online as a dataset collector, compiling data collected by the company to create studies covering anything from vacation rentals to hiking cities.
Here’s a breakdown of the report.
How did Illinois do?
According to the report, five cities out of ten are from Illinois for the worst cities to get high in, with Cicero the third worst city in the country.
The other Illinois cities that cracked the list include Elgin (5th worst), Bloomington (7th worst), Springfield (9th worst) and Rockford (10th worst).
Chicago was the highest ranked city in Illinois to get high in, according to the report, at No. 38.
More: New report finds air quality in Springfield, surrounding areas is getting worse
Methodology used
According to LawnStarter, the metrics to rank each city were first determined as six categories: access, consumer satisfaction, convenience, lounging, entertainment and munchie relief.
After the six categories were chosen, each was assigned a weight based on importance for the stoned experience. Access to dispensaries was weighted highest on the list, with munchies relief weighing the least.
Data was collected from 292 cities across the country before final calculations scored each city out of 100 points to determine its rank in each factor and overall. The score is the average of the city’s scores combined.
Best places to get high?
Here’s a look at the best places, according to the report:
- Los Angeles, California
- San Francisco, California
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Denver, Colorado
- New York, New York
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for the State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
Illinois
Sweet Basil Cafe opens seventh Illinois location in Hanover Park
Sweet Basil Cafe opened its seventh Illinois location Monday at the former site of Tap House Grill in the Westview Center in Hanover Park.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials is expected shortly after exterior signs are delivered and installed at the breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant at 7600 Barrington Road, Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig said.
“It definitely fills a niche,” he added. “It’ll be a value to the center. I’m excited about it.”
Craig said he hopes the presence of the new business will encourage the return of the Cruise Nights that previously used the parking lot near Tony’s Fresh Market.
The family-owned and operated restaurant will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It features a coffee bar with a variety of specialty coffee drinks, flights, smoothies and shakes.
A new addition for Sweet Basil Cafe is a pizza menu for either dine-in or carryout.
Refurbishments to the building include a pet-friendly patio where dogs are entitled to a free puppy cup.
Sweet Basil Cafe’s other Illinois locations are in Algonquin, Skokie, Rockford, Peoria, Champaign and Springfield.
Illinois
When are the Illinois cicadas coming?
When are the Illinois cicadas coming?
Soon, but not quite yet.
CBS News associate producer Maddy Wierus went on a baby cicada hunt last week in Champaign, Ill., with the University of Illinois entomologist Dr. Katie Dana.
Baby cicadas found in Champaign
After a bit of digging, Dana found three or four nymphs several inches underground.
“Oh, wait, I see that guy!” Dana said. “He’s down in the hole! Oh my gosh. I’m pretty sure unless that’s a beetle.”
After a closer inspection, it wasn’t a beetle. It was actually a cicada, not quite ready to emerge.
“It’s butt sticking out of the hole there,” Dana said. “So you can see there’s at least three or four there.”
Dana said the soil is warming a bit faster than she would like.
When will cicadas emerge in Illinois?
However, based on the bug’s color, these little guys still have some time to spend in the soil before their big reveal, Dana said.
There are two groups of periodical cicadas — those that emerge every 13 years and those that emerge every 17 years. For most of their lives, cicadas live underground and emerge once the soil reaches 64 degrees.
Because they are temperature-dependent, cicada emergences may vary depending on the location. In 2024, they are expected sometime in May or early June, according to Ken Johnson, a horticulture educator at the University of Illinois.
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