* John Pletz at Crain’s…

The long delay in issuing new retail Illinois marijuana licenses might soon end.

The attorney who filed the lawsuit that resulted in a Cook County judge prohibiting the state from issuing 185 new licenses requested today that the ruling be lifted. And attorneys from the state indicated that a deal to lift the judge’s stay could be worked out in the coming days. […]

The stay preventing the state from issuing the licenses was issued last summer by Cook County Judge Moshe Jacobius, who retired in January. The applicant who filed suit, WAH Group, received a perfect score after the state rescored disputed applications, and it won lotteries for two licenses. However, the stay remained in place.

The state conducted three lotteries for 185 licenses last July and August, but none of those licenses has been awarded because of the stay. The legal limbo has frustrated applicants who have been unable to open stores. A handful have begun the zoning process in the city and suburbs, but many have been unable to move ahead as long as the licenses were on hold.

Just ridiculous.

* More…

Dispensary license applicants have been waiting a long time for these licenses. Applications were first filed in January 2020, with awards originally supposed to be made in late April, but delays due to Covid, poor government planning, and then lawsuits kept adding delays to the process.

“The first thing I’m gonna do is have a drink and probably take a puff or two after thanking the good Lord that it’s finally over,” said dispensary license holder and activist Rickey Hendon when asked what he plans to do on Friday. “And then work on our location. My partners and I are looking at two places, and now that’ll accelerate.”