“These things seem to be simple, and that’s what we’re learning: Everything isn’t simple.”

By Dilpreet Raju, Capitol News Illinois

While Illinois’s cannabis market is booming and the state has made progress in diversifying new licensees, significant hurdles remain for businesses hoping to enter the expanding market, according to an independent review of the industry.

Celebratory news releases have marked several industry successes in recent months—the state saw the opening of its 100th social equity cannabis dispensary and surpassed $1 billion in cannabis sales in 2024.

Gov. JB Pritzker (D), since signing the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act in 2019, has often repeated that social equity is at the core of Illinois’ cannabis program. In July, he praised a newly commissioned, independent diversity report regarding the industry that identified progress—and hurdles—for the stated diversification goal.

The independent diversity study—commissioned by the state at a cost of $2.5 million by Peoria-based Nerevu Group consulting firm—found that while the state has awarded more licenses to women and people of color than any other regulated market in the United States, white men are still the demographic most likely to have a cannabis license in Illinois.

But the Department of Agriculture’s most recent licensee

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A new poll signals that a Florida marijuana legalization initiative that’ll be on the November ballot has enough support to pass, exceeding the steep 60 percent threshold to enact a constitutional amendment under state law.

The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey found that 63.6 percent of likely voters in Florida back the cannabis measure, while 27.2 percent are opposed and 9.2 percent remain undecided.

That includes 81 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of independents and 51 percent of Republicans—the latest signal that cannabis legalization enjoys bipartisan support in the Sunshine State.

That’s positive news for the Smart & Safe Florida campaign behind Amendment 3. While polling has consistently shown majority support for the initiative, several recent surveys have shown it falling short of the 60 percent requirement.

This latest poll involved interviews with 815 likely voters in Florida from September 3-5, with a +/-3.4 percentage point margin of error.

It comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee and a Florida resident, voicing support for the measure, as well as federal rescheduling and cannabis industry banking access.

“As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults

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