A cannabis company is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to let the state name the winners of craft grower licenses that have been held up by pending litigation, according to the Chicago Tribune.
1837 Craft Grow LLC filed a motion Jan. 5 to modify a court order that bars state officials from naming the licensees until litigation is settled, the news outlet reported.
The case holding up the licensing process centers on 13 companies that sued the state to challenge the licensing process after their applications for craft grow and transporter licenses were disqualified, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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A state law required Illinois officials to issue the 60 new craft grow licenses by Dec. 21, 2021, the news outlet reported, but Cook County Judge Neil Cohen and Sangamon County Judge Gail Noll have ordered that the licenses cannot be awarded until the lawsuit is settled.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for March 10, according to the Chicago Tribune, which also noted that it could take months or years for the litigation to be resolved.
1837 Craft Grow argues in its motion that it and other applicants have faced mounting costs as they pay for property and other business expenses while waiting to hear if they will ultimately be awarded a license to operate.
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The Illinois attorney general’s office asked Noll to allow the state to name the 60 winners of the craft grow licenses without issuing the licenses in an effort to allow the licensees to move forward with their business plans, but Noll denied the request, the Chicago Tribune reported.