After nearly 90 years of prohibition, Illinois became the first state to legalize the sale of cannabis through a state legislature in 2019. Touted by the governor’s office as the “most equity-centric” cannabis law in the nation, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) made big promises to repair the damages of the war on drugs across Illinois’ most impacted communities.

The war on drugs has a well-chronicled history of punishing Black and Brown communities in Chicago and greater Illinois. A 2022 report from the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts found that over the past 50 years, the state’s drug laws have grown increasingly punitive, often focusing on low-level possession of small amounts of drugs rather than disrupting large-scale distribution. At the time of the report, Black people made up 70 percent of those incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections for possession of controlled substances.

Enforcement of cannabis prior to its legalization made no exception to this trend. In a 2020 study by the ACLU, Illinois ranked third across all states in disparity between Black and white arrest rates for marijuana possession, despite marginal differences in actual use across these demographics.

In 2018–just one year before J.B. Pritzker signed the CRTA–1,369 arrests were made in Chicago alone for cannabis-related offenses, 97 percent of which were for Black or Hispanic individuals.

The CRTA aimed to address the wrongs of the war on drugs through a three-pronged approach: forgiving those with cannabis-related offenses through expungements, economically investing in historically disadvantaged communities, and providing opportunities to participate in the industry for those most affected by cannabis prohibition.

Six years out, the CRTA has had ample time to deliver on its promises. Here’s what the bill intended, and where it stands today. 

Clearing the record

Upon signing of the CRTA, approximately 700,000 individuals became eligible for expungement of cannabis-related offenses. Expungement, the removal of criminal records, can open doors to employment, housing, bank loans and educational opportunities.

Over 400,000 people with minor cannabis offenses that did not result in a conviction, such as possession of 30 grams of marijuana or less–just under one ounce–were able to have their records automatically expunged. An additional 300,000 individuals with convictions were eligible for their cases to be dismissed and expunged.

Where it stands: By 2023, J.B. Pritzker had cleared the records of over 780,000 individuals charged with cannabis-related offenses and had pardoned an additional 11,430 individuals.

A recent analysis by NBC Chicago found that, by December 2025, 94 people remain in Illinois state prisons on cannabis-related charges. Most of these convictions came for exceeding limits on the amount of weed that can be carried at once, or for using in public places.

Making reparations

The CRTA directs 25 percent of Illinois’ cannabis tax revenue–among the highest in the nation–to social equity programs. That funding supports the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) program, which provides grants to organizations working in communities disproportionately harmed by the criminal justice system.

R3 priorities fall across five areas: civil legal aid, economic development, re-entry, violence prevention and youth development.

Where it stands: The initial application period received nearly 400 submissions, which the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) reported as the most for any grant it has issued.

To date, the program has awarded about $330 million in grants with a new round of $50 million in funds announced in early 2026. Youth development and violence prevention organizations have received over half of the grants administered through the program.

Diversifying the market

The final social equity pillar of the CRTA focused on creating a diverse cannabis market by prioritizing business owners who have been impacted by the war on drugs.

The CRTA designated social equity applicants as individuals who were personally arrested or convicted of a cannabis related offense, have a family member who was arrested or convicted of a cannabis related offense, or reside in a designated Disproportionately Impacted Area.

These applicants were meant to be prioritized for the limited licenses available to distribute, cultivate, transport and infuse (process) cannabis products. They also were eligible for reduced application fees and additional loan opportunities through the Cannabis Social Equity Loan program, which provides state-financed Direct Forgivable Loans to cannabis entrepreneurs.

Where it stands: The most recent data from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) shows that 59 percent of licensed distributors, the most competitive license type, are social equity owned businesses. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has issued about $24 million in loans to 51 social equity businesses, and is preparing to distribute a new round of $40 million in awards.

The rollout of the social equity program was plagued by delays due to a high volume of applications, legal challenges to the selection process and the unforeseeable disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic. The first social equity dispensaries did not open until late 2022, while only 64 percent of licensed social equity dispensaries are operational as of January 2026.