Illinois has now had a month of legal recreational cannabis, and the story so far has been a repeat of the states out west like Colorado and Washington when they legalized. Illinois has a location central to the Midwest and is currently the closest access point to the whole Southeast for recreational cannabis, putting them in the ideal position to cash in on weed tourism.

Cannabis Events in Illinois 2020

Cannabis Licensing Bootcamp

Sat, February 15 2020, 9:30 AM – Sun, February 16 2020, 5:00 PM

Black United Fund of Illinois

1809 East 71st Street

Chicago, IL 60649

This is part 2 of their series, focusing on cultivation and processing licensing. The workshop will have cannabis industry experts and leaders on hand to share best practices and resources for cultivation and processing in a cannabis business. Attendees will also have a chance to network with investors and partners. One ticket covers both days, course materials, breakfast and lunch for four team members.

Expect the training to be intense, because they don’t call it a “bootcamp” for nothing!

Illinois Cannabis Guide launch party

Sat, February 22, 2020

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM CST

CannabisEquityX

9 West Washington Street

#Ste 405

Chicago, IL 60602

[MORE INFO]

This all new resource guide and directory includes Medical and Recreational Cannabis Resources such as:

Illinois Medical Dispensaries List and Locator Map

Interviews and News

Profiles and Statistics

Photo Gallery

Marketplace and Display Advertising

The State of Cannabis in USA and Illinois

Social Equity

Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act

Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act

Listings and Classifieds

Like typical Midwesterners, we’ll start by reading the manual. This guide looks to be a great collection of everything you need to know about Illinois cannabis in one place, so get it here, save a ton of Googling later.

HempCann Conference

Sat, March 7, 2020- starting at 8:00 AM

IBEW Local 309

2000 Mall St

Collinsville, IL 62234

This is a conference and expo focused on education, exhibitors, and industry. It’s an educational conference encompassing advocates, elected officials, businesses, investors, and industry experts in hemp and cannabis. This is a preregistered event with limited space. Education sessions will include an industry support group discussing banking, insurance, and legal needs; agriculture within the context of Illinois laws; and a tutorial for cannabis business owners and investors.

Medical & Adult-Use Marijuana Dispensary Training with State Certification

Sat, April 4, 2020

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST

Hilton Garden Inn Chicago OHare Airport

2930 S River Rd

Des Plaines, IL 60018

[MORE INFO]

This course includes the state-required 2-hour dispensary training so you can work in a state-licensed dispensary in Illinois. In addition to the state-required training and certification, this course includes 2 hours of dispensary educational training. You’ll get essential information that you need to not just land a job in the cannabis industry but also to be a successful employee and build a long-term career.

Just some of the training topics that will be covered:

Rules and laws for adult and medical use dispensing in Illinois

Health and safety standards

Compliance with Illinois inventory traceability system and inventory taking process

Packaging and labeling requirements for sales to purchasers

Knowledge about cannabis strains, cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and chemistry

Exclusive list of Staffing agencies in Illinois

There is much more, too much to list here. You even get a take-home course guidebook. For one stop, you get Illinois state certification, full training, and resources to launch a cannabis business in Illinois.

We will update this page with new events as applicable. For now, the cannabis business in Illinois is just getting rolling (see what we did there?), so it’s more about the first steps here.

We predict Illinois is going to do very well in the cannabis business

Just look at the map:

Look how many states now have Illinois as their closest cannabis access point. The whole Southwestern US is all Illinois’ market this year, plus a couple Midwestern states. Illinois is uniquely positioned to welcome some cannabis tourism this year the same way Colorado was when it first legalized.

So far, Illinois dispensaries have cleared $40 million in sales for the month of January. Multiply that x12, you could be looking at $480 million by end of year. That’s within sniffing distance of California numbers. Illinois government is already calling the tax revenue a “windfall.” When you hear that word, it means government workers are standing there in tearful joy going “we don’t even know what to do first with all this money!” That’s a good picture for nearby states tipping into legalization.

Got anymore Illinois cannabis events we should know about?

Feel free to add them here in the comments or in our newly redesigned forum!