Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Applications
must be submitted on Division-provided forms and include the following
information:
1) The legal name of the
proposed dispensing organization.
2) The name, address, telephone number, date
of birth, social security number and e-mail address of the proposed dispensing
organization's principal officers. A post office box may not be used.
3) The name of the proposed
dispensary.
4) If the entity
applying is a sole proprietorship, a copy of creation documents.
5) If the entity applying is a business
organization other than a sole proprietorship, the following information for
the entity applying:
A) The type of business
organization.
B) If a partnership,
a copy of any partnership or joint venture documents, and if there is no
written agreement, a statement signed by all principal officers affirming there
is no agreement.
C) If a limited
liability company, a copy of the Articles of Organization, operating agreement,
and certificate of good standing issued by the Secretary of State or obtained
from the Secretary of State's website dated within seven days prior to the date
the application is filed with the Division. Limited liability company
applicants shall include a listing of all affiliated persons or business
entities holding an ownership interest in the company.
D) If a corporation, the name of the
registered agent, a copy of the Articles of Incorporation, Corporate
Resolutions if any, and a certificate of good standing issued by the Secretary
of State or obtained from the Secretary of State's website within seven days
prior to the date the application is filed with the Division. If using an
assumed name, a copy of the assumed name registration issued by the Secretary
of State. Corporate applicants shall include a listing of all persons or
businesses holding an ownership interest in the corporation.
E) If an unincorporated association,
organization or not-for-profit organization, documents or agreements relevant
to its creation, ownership, profit sharing and liability. If there are no
documents as detailed in this subsection (a)(5)(E), a statement signed by all
principal officers stating so.
6) From each principal officer, a statement
indicating whether that person:
A) Has held an
ownership interest in a dispensing organization, other cannabis-related
business, or its equivalent in another state or territory of the United States
that had the dispensary registration or license suspended, revoked, placed on
probationary status or subjected to other disciplinary action.
B) Is a physician that will be on the
dispensing organization's board of directors or an employee, pursuant to
Section 35(b)(5) of the Act.
C) Is
a registered qualified patient, designated caregiver, provisional patient or
OAPP patient.
7)
Disclosure of whether any principal officer has ever:
A) Filed for bankruptcy; or
B) Defaulted on alimony or child support
obligation.
8) A resume
for each principal officer, including whether that person has an academic
degree, certification or relevant experience with a medical cannabis business
or in a related industry.
9) A
patient education plan detailing the benefits or drawbacks of cannabis strains
or products in connection with the debilitating conditions identified in the
Act and an OAPP participant education plan detailing the benefits or drawbacks
of cannabis strains or products in connection with medical conditions for which
opioids can be, or are, prescribed for, and initiatives to keep product costs
reasonable.
10) A description of
the training and education that will be provided to dispensary
agents.
11) A copy of the proposed
operating by-laws.
12) A copy of
the proposed business plan that complies with the requirements in this Part,
including, at a minimum, the following:
A) A
description of products intended to be offered;
B) A description of services to be offered;
and
C) A description of the process
of dispensing cannabis from a restricted access area to a limited access
area.
13) A copy of the
proposed security plan that complies with the requirements in this Part,
including:
A) A description of the delivery
process by which cannabis will be received from a cultivation center, including
receipt of manifests and protocols that will be used to avoid diversion, theft
or loss at the dispensary acceptance point;
B) The process or controls that will be
implemented to monitor the dispensary, secure the premises, agents, patients,
opioid participants and currency, and prevent the diversion, theft or loss of
cannabis; and
C) The process to
ensure that access to the limited access areas is restricted to qualifying
patients, provisional registration patients, OAPP participants, designated
caregivers, registered agents, service professionals or persons authorized by
the Act and this Part.
14) A proposed inventory control plan that
complies with this Part.
A) The process for
integrating the dispensary's point of sale with the State verification system
and Illinois Cannabis Tracking System using a program interface to record sales
and patients, provisional patients, designated caregivers and OAPP participants
in real time;
B) A description of
the medical cannabis order fulfillment process for patients, provisional
patients and OAPP participants;
C)
A description of the patient, provisional patient and OAPP participant sale
process;
D) A description of the
process of dispensing cannabis from the restricted access area to the limited
access area.
15) A
proposed recordkeeping plan and State verification system for patients,
provisional patients, designated caregivers and OAPP participants that complies
with this Part.
16) A copy of the
current local zoning ordinance sections relevant to dispensary operations.
Documentation, if any, of the approval, the conditional approval or the status
of a request for zoning approval from the local zoning office that the proposed
dispensary location is in compliance with the local zoning rules and the zoning
provisions in Section 130 of the Act.
17) For the building or land to be used as
the proposed dispensary:
A) If the property is
not owned by the applicant, a written statement from the property owner and
landlord, if any, certifying consent that the applicant may operate a
dispensary on the premises; or
B)
If the property is owned by the applicant, confirmation of ownership.
18) A copy of any proposed
marketing or advertising plan or materials.
19) A map of the area surrounding the
proposed dispensary, extending a minimum of 1,000 feet from the property line
in all directions. The map must clearly demonstrate that the property line of
the proposed dispensary is not located within 1,000 feet of the property line
of a pre-existing public or private preschool or elementary or secondary school
or day care center, day care home, group day care home or part day child care
facility. The map must clearly demonstrate that the dispensary is not in an
area zoned for residential use and identify the existing adjacent businesses.
For purposes of this subsection (a)(19), "pre-existing" means existing as of
the date the proposed dispensing organization submitted its application to the
Division.
20) A plot plan of the
dispensary drawn to scale. The applicant shall submit general specifications of
the building exterior and interior layout.
21) A statement that the dispensing
organization agrees to respond to the Division's supplemental requests for
information.
b)
Financial Disclosure
The applicant shall provide a statement disclosing relevant
business transactions and financial information connected with the application.
Financial disclosures include:
1) A
Table of Organization, Ownership and Control, including the ownership structure
and names of the principal officers of the dispensing organization.
2) A current organization chart that includes
position descriptions and the names and resumes of each person holding each
position. The resumes shall establish specific skills, education, experience or
significant accomplishments that are relevant to owning or operating a
dispensing organization.
3)
Depending on business type as applicable, agreements between any two or more
principal officers that relate to the assets, liabilities, property, revenue,
royalties, profit or future profit of the dispensing organization or comparable
documents that establish the legal structure of the applicant, operations,
management and control.
4) A copy
of compensation agreements among any persons having a financial interest in the
dispensing organization.
5) The
nature, type, terms, covenants and priorities of all outstanding debts,
including but are not limited to bonds, loans, mortgages, trust deeds, lines of
credit, notes issued or executed, or to be issued or executed, in connection
with the proposed dispensary.
6)
Audited financial statements for the previous fiscal year, which shall include,
but are not limited to, an income statement, balance sheet, statement of
retained earnings or owners' equity, statement of cash flows, and all notes to
those statements and related financial schedules, prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, with the accompanying independent
auditor's report. The audit must be compiled by and certified by an auditor or
CPA. If the applicant was formed within the year preceding the application,
provide certified financial statements for the period of time the applicant has
been in existence.
7) Complete
copies of all federal, state and foreign (with translation) tax returns filed
by the principal officers of the proposed dispensing organization for the last
three years, or for the period each principal officer has filed tax returns if
less than three years.
8)
Disclosure of all funding sources used for the proposed dispensing
organization, including documentation verifying the source of the funds and
copies of closing documents in connection with the purchase of a registered
business.
9) The applicant has a
continuing duty to promptly disclose material changes in the financial
information provided to the Division. If an applicant is issued a registration,
this duty of ongoing disclosure shall continue throughout the registered
period.
c) Documentation
acceptable to the Division that the applicant has at least $400,000 in liquid
assets under its control for each application. Documentation acceptable to the
Division includes:
1) A signed statement from
an Illinois Licensed CPA or financial institution attesting to proof of
$400,000 in liquid assets under the control of a principal officer or the
entity applying.
2) The signed
statement must be dated within 10 calendar days before the application is
submitted.
3) Documentation
otherwise requested by the Division in writing.
d) An attestation under penalty of perjury
signed and dated by each principal officer identified in subsection (a)(2):
1) That the person has not been convicted of
an excluded offense;
2) That the
information provided to the Division is true and correct;
3) That, if the proposed organization is
issued an authorization, the applicant will not operate until the Division
approves the applicant's registration packet, the dispensary is inspected and
the applicant obtains a registration from the Division;
4) That the applicant acknowledges receipt
and advisement of the notices contained in the application and agrees to and
accepts the limitations of liability and the requirement to indemnify, hold
harmless and defend the State of Illinois, including:
A) Limitation of Liability - the State of
Illinois shall not be liable to the dispensing organization, dispensing
organization employees, family members or guests, qualifying patients or
caregivers, qualifying patient's or caregiver's employer or employees, family
members or guests for any damage, injury, accident, loss, compensation or
claim, based on, arising out of or resulting from the registrant's
participation in the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program,
including, but not limited to, the following: arrest, seizure of persons or
property, prosecution pursuant to federal laws by federal prosecutors, any
fire, robbery, theft, mysterious disappearance or any other casualty; or the
actions of any other registrants or persons. This limitation of liability
provision shall survive expiration or the early termination of the registration
if the registration is granted; and
B) The Division requires each registrant to
include a signed statement in the registration packet that, at minimum,
certifies that the applicant has actual notice that, notwithstanding any State
law:
i) Cannabis is a prohibited Schedule I
controlled substance under federal law;
ii) Participation in the Compassionate Use of
Medical Cannabis Pilot Program (program) is permitted only to the extent
provided by the strict requirements of the Act and this Part;
iii) Any activity not sanctioned by the Act
or this Part may be a violation of State law;
iv) Growing, distributing or possessing
cannabis in any capacity, except through a federally-approved research program,
is a violation of federal law;
v)
Use of medical cannabis may affect an individual's ability to receive federal
or state licensure in other areas;
vi) Use of medical cannabis, in tandem with
other conduct, may be a violation of State or federal law;
vii) Participation in the medical cannabis
program does not authorize any person to violate federal law or State law and,
other than as set out in Section 25 of the Act, does not provide any immunity
from or affirmative defense to arrest or prosecution under federal law or State
law; and
viii) Applicants shall
indemnify, hold harmless and defend the State of Illinois for any and all civil
or criminal penalties resulting from participation in the
program.
C) The Division
has the authority to include additional certifications in the application that
would be sufficient to ensure compliance with the program and all other
applicable laws.