Applicants must prove certain social equity eligibility criteria and other licensing requirements in order to be issued a conditional license
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) announced today the results of the Social Equity Criteria Lottery (“SECL”) for 55 Conditional Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary Licenses. Almost 2,700 applicants participated in the lottery, which was held in conjunction by IDFPR and the Illinois Lottery. Before Conditional Licenses are issued, the Department will initiate a review process to ensure applicants selected meet all statutorily required rules. Once confirmed, the Department will issue a Conditional License. The results of the SECL may be found online here and below.
“From the beginning of legalization of cannabis in Illinois, my administration has been committed to ensuring social equity is at the forefront of our state’s historic industry,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This streamlined application process led to the number of lottery participants almost tripling from our first round of lotteries just two years ago. The hard work of my administration, the General Assembly, and industry stakeholders only reinforced our commitment to social equity and laid the groundwork for today’s successful lottery.”
“Today’s lottery means tomorrow’s successes, with more communities and more people from all backgrounds being able to enter this expanding industry,” said Mario Treto, Jr., IDFPR Secretary. “From Cairo to Winthrop Harbor, a more accessible lottery means more accessible opportunities to benefit the entire State of Illinois. We will continue our mission to keep improving the dispensary licensing process and we look forward to writing the next chapter for thriving cannabis business, together.”
Each applicant selected in the SECL must prove to the Department certain social equity eligibility criteria and other licensing requirements in order to be issued a conditional license. The Department has published a helpful Next Steps guide that answers some common questions about the SECL and licensing process.
All updates and additional information about the SECL will be found on IDFPR’s Adult Use Cannabis Program webpage.
List of Top Participants by BLS Region in Social Equity Criteria Lottery
On July 13, 2023, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“Department”) conducted the Social Equity Criteria Lottery (“SECL”), with 17 BLS Region drawings for 55 Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses (“Conditional Licenses”). The Department conducted the SECL pursuant to Section 15-35.20(c) of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act and 68 IAC 1291.400 and 405 of the Illinois Administrative Code.
The below tables for each of the 17 BLS Regions identify each Top Participant in that region. Top Participant means “an applicant drawn by lot in a winning slot such that it has the opportunity to be issued a conditional license.” See 68 IAC 1291.10. A Top Participant must proceed through the processes identified in 68 IAC 1291.410-440 in order to be issued a Conditional License, as well as meet certain other licensing requirements, including proof of tax compliance, statutory license limitations, and child support requirements.
Top Participants have 45 days, beginning Friday, July 14, 2023 through Monday, August 28, 2023 to submit proof of their conditional license eligibility.
The Department has at least 60 days to assess such proof. If the Department determines that a Top Participant is ineligible for licensure after the required deficiency periods, the Department may deny that Top Participant licensure and offer the opportunity to the next applicant drawn in that BLS Region. Therefore, the below tables may be updated if a Top Participant is denied a Conditional License and new Top Participants may be added based on the full draw results.
The full draw results are available here.
The posting of this list and the full draw results is not a final agency decision.
| Term | Meaning |
| Proposed Entity Name | This is the name the applicant submitted as its “Proposed Entity Name” on the original application. Some applicants chose to use a business or corporate name, such as an LLC. Applicants were not required to have formed a business entity prior to submitting an application, therefore some applicants may be identified as placeholders like “TBD” or other generic proposed names. |
| Unique Application Number | The Unique Application Number (UAN) is the individual identification number associated with a singular, particular application. |
| Unique Lottery Number | The Unique Lottery Number (ULN) is assigned to each entry in the SECL. The ULN number is similar to a commonly understood “lottery ball number” although the Illinois Lottery uses a highly advanced computer system and not actual lottery balls. Each UAN is assigned a ULN.
The Illinois Lottery’s computer system uses a 9-digit number. Once the Department posts the Official Draw Results from the Illinois Lottery, the ULN number will be proceeded by 6-8 zeros, depending on how many ULNs were needed for that particular BLS Region.
For example, if your group has the ULN number “1”, the Illinois Lottery’s system will display it as “000000001”. |
| Order Drawn | This reflects the order in which the Unique Lottery Numbers were drawn in the lottery. |
BLS Region 1: Bloomington – 1 Conditional License Available
| Order Drawn | Unique Lottery Number | Unique Application Number | Proposed Entity Name |
| 1 | 3 | 4313649 | Horse Lake |
BLS Region 2: Cape Girardeau – 1 Conditional License Available
| Order Drawn | Unique Lottery Number | Unique Application Number | Proposed Entity Name |
| 1 | 2 | 4286856 | People Dispensary |
BLS Region 3: Carbondale-Marion – 1 Conditional License Available
| Order Drawn |
| Unique Lottery Number
Unique Application Number Proposed Entity Name |
