* You love to see it…

A trio of Wisconsin lawmakers traveled across the state line to an Illinois cannabis store on Tuesday to announce the filing of new legislation to legalize marijuana for adults in their own state.

The three Wisconsin Democrats—Sen. Melissa Agard and Reps. David Bowen and Mark Spreitzer—held the event outside a dispensary in South Beloit, Illinois, which sits on the border with Wisconsin. They were joined by Beloit City Council President Clinton Anderson (D).

“All you have to do is look right that way and you’ll see the state of Wisconsin,” Agard said from the Sunnsyide cannabis shop’s parking lot, gesturing north and describing her state as “an island of prohibition.” She pointed out that a number of the vehicles in the parking lot had Wisconsin plates and shared that some of the store’s employees were in fact Wisconsin residents.

It really is nice that we’re taking cheesehead money for a change.

* Robert McCoppin at the Chicago Tribune…

A judge continued to keep in limbo new cannabis store licenses in Illinois while one applicant alleges that the state mistakenly kept it out of the first lottery to award licenses.

Cook County Judge Moshe Jacobius has ordered that the state not award any new dispensary licenses, including for medical cannabis, until he rules on a lawsuit before him. The state plans to hold the last of three lotteries to award licenses Aug. 19, but the judge’s order means the winners won’t get any of the 185 new licenses until the judge rules. State officials noted that lottery results may change as a result of further court orders or administrative review.

A business called Wah Group LLC, claimed that state officials wrongly eliminated one of its applications that qualified for the lottery in the St. Louis region. Court filings by Wah attorney Mazie Harris assert that state officials told Wah it would qualify for the next lottery.

Wah and Haaayy LLC have claimed that the state process for scoring cannabis license applications was flawed, and unfairly required veteran ownership to achieve a perfect score and qualify for all lotteries. The next court hearing is set for Monday.

Last year, after only 21 applicants qualified for 75 new licenses, Gov. J.B. Pritzker admitted problems with the scoring process conducted by consultant KPMG, and ordered that the applications be rescored. Those scores were released July 28, more than a year late, and winners were eligible for up to three lotteries.

* Tom Schuba at the Chicago Sun-Times…

The applicants waited for more than a year for a chance to jump into Illinois’ booming weed industry.

But now that they have won lucrative licenses to open marijuana dispensaries, craft grow operations or other related businesses, some could sell the licenses before ever opening up — potentially collecting millions in the process.

With the state’s troubled pot licensing process careening toward a conclusion, corporatized weed firms and other cash-rich buyers are now expected to go after the new licenses — many of which are slated to go to so-called social equity applicants, a designation created to boost diversity in the lily-white weed industry.

Rickey Hendon, a former state senator who won a dispensary license in last week’s lottery, acknowledged he and other companies are now entertaining a host of proposals to sell to owners with deeper pockets. A court order in a pending lawsuit has, however, blocked the formal issuance of the pot shop permits for now.

* More Tom Schuba…

The winners of the latest batch of 55 precious pot shop permits includes former NBA stars Allen Iverson and Al Harrington, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen, longtime news anchor Robin Robinson and the indicted son of ex-state Rep. Eddie Acevedo. […]

Degnen, who previously served as the deputy director of the state agency that regulates dispensaries, is affiliated with AmeriCanna Dream LLC, which notched a win in a region near St. Louis, Missouri. In a statement, Degnen said she has “worked diligently to ensure our work for equity and fairness in the cannabis space is ethical and transparent.” […]

Acevedo’s son, Alex, and his group, Latino Veterans Health and Revival LLC, also earned a license in the Chicago region. Alex Acevedo, who previously launched a failed bid for alderman, was hit with tax charges stemming from the probe of lobbying practices of Commonwealth Edison, along with his father and brother. They have all pleaded not guilty.

* Robert Channick at the Tribune…

Illinois recreational weed sales hit a record $128 million in July, helped by a late-month boost from the Lollapalooza festival.

The blowout sales month — up 10% from the previous high of $116.4 million in May — included four days of booming business at Chicago-area cannabis dispensaries during the annual music festival, which returned to Grant Park last Thursday after a one-year pandemic hiatus.

Recreational weed was legal in Illinois for the first time in Lollapalooza’s 30-year history, with large crowds of festivalgoers boosting sales by as much as 50% at nearby dispensaries in River North and the West Loop, according to operators.

* More…

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