By Ramone Tarnaski

An Illinois judge has granted a lawsuit against the government of Governor J.B. Pritzker for delays in issuing licenses. Licenses for artisanal growers were supposed to be issued by the end of the year to comply with state laws, but state authorities have not done so because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has led to delays.

The delays have hampered the issuance of licenses for home-grown cannabis, which were due to be issued by 1 May, as well as those for artisanal growers.

Cook County Judge Allen Walker issued the ruling after the Illinois Craft Cannabis Association sought a ruling ordering the Pritzker administration to issue licenses immediately. The judge also ruled that an ex-post order by the governor clarifying the delays was ordered to instruct the authorities in charge of issuing the licenses to focus their efforts on protecting food supplies, including livestock and meat production facilities. In his ruling, Walker wrote that Pritchard's first emergency order delaying the granting of licenses was inadequate. In a later order, it was not explicitly stated that issuing cannabis licenses by the IDOA deadline would have the effect of diverting needed resources from pandemic efforts, which would make it impossible for governors to resolve the COVID-19 crisis, but the point was implicitly raised, he wrote in the order.