Two firms seeking cannabis company permits in Illinois have sued state authorities, alleging that the lottery framework for granting licenses is unlawful, discriminatory, and fails to satisfy the state’s purpose of promoting social equity in the market.
The case filed by Champion Investments and Fox River Gardens claims that the state did not provide preferential entry for social equity candidates in the licensure of cannabis retailers, and that the system used to grant the licenses was flawed.
They seek for a court to determine that the standards, guidelines, and method for retail licensure is illegal and void. This marks the most recent in a slew of lawsuits filed in Illinois by aspiring cannabis businesses.
Three firms challenged the state’s cannabis authorities in September, claiming that their requests for production and distribution licenses were wrongfully denied or that they were not afforded the chance to correct flaws in their submissions.
