The Cole Memo

Traditionally, the cultivation of cannabis in Illinois has been confined to indoor facilities, with strict regulations ensuring that the plant is grown in controlled environments.

In December 2023, after over a year of casual investigation, I released information suggesting that a select few cultivation centers in Illinois had been quietly granted permission to grow cannabis outdoors.

This stood out to me because growing outdoors is cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and traditionally fits inside the norm for most of Illinois agriculture. As I stated in my last article, I believe that outdoor cultivation should be a right available to everyone—licensed cultivators, medical cannabis patients, and ideally all adults in Illinois. It should not remain an exclusive privilege granted to just two licensees in the state.

In discussions with several licensed craft cultivators, a recurring theme has emerged: outdoor cultivation presents a more accessible option for capital-constrained operators. These cultivators argue that being allowed to grow cannabis outdoors, specifically for producing infused or extracted products, could open new revenue streams that are currently out of reach due to delays in securing investors or the high costs of constructing heavily regulated indoor facilities.

To illustrate, imagine a visit to a hardware store: it involves purchasing some fencing, tent poles, netting, and security cameras. Compare this with the monumental task of building an indoor cultivation facility, and the appeal of outdoor cultivation becomes clear. It’s an opportunity to harness Illinois’ natural, agriculture-friendly soil and climate—advantages that many operators feel they are missing out on.

In my last article, I detailed my efforts to obtain information about lawsuits related to outdoor cannabis cultivation in Illinois, which had, until now, been unsuccessful. I also reaffirmed my commitment to providing accurate and timely updates as new information becomes available. By highlighting this issue, I hoped that others with more resources might help uncover the legal documents tied to these ongoing disputes.

I’m pleased to report that I have recently acquired a collection of documents related to outdoor cannabis cultivation in Illinois. I can now confirm that there were at least two active lawsuits involving Nature’s Grace and Wellness and Green Thumb Industries.

For the first time, I am revealing to the public the rescission letters issued to GTI and NGW, confirming that my initial findings were accurate: outdoor cannabis cultivation was indeed permitted in Illinois.

Up until now, I have been unable to get any state official to confirm the existence of such activity on the record, and I’m not aware of anyone else who has.

Rescission Letter for Green Thumb Industries

Rescission Letter for Nature’s Grace and Wellness

Despite the rescission letters, my understanding is that NGW and GTI are still permitted to use their outdoor growing areas while litigation is ongoing.

I plan to release more information on this topic in the future.

Comment below with your thoughts and consider supporting my work!

You can support The Cole Memo with a one-time, monthly, or yearly contribution.

Illinois to Open Medical to All Dispensaries + Allow Outdoor Grows for All | E309 – The Cole Memo

Illinois is moving forward with several significant cannabis policy changes. Adult-use dispensaries will soon be able to apply for licenses to serve medical cannabis patients, while newly proposed rules from the Illinois Department of Agriculture would allow licensed cultivation centers and craft growers to grow cannabis outdoors under specific conditions. Cole breaks down both developments, including what dispensaries would need to do to obtain a medical license, why outdoor cultivation has been a years-long issue in Illinois, and the state's proposal to limit outdoor-grown cannabis to extraction. Plus, a rare glimpse inside Illinois' Bureau of Cannabis Testing laboratory. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/08/14/e309/

1. Illinois to Open Medical to All Dispensaries + Allow Outdoor Grows for All | E309 33:02
2. Cannabis Access, Hemp Politics, and the Rise of Flock Cameras | E308 50:45
3. The Hemp Debate: Cannabis, Decriminalization, and Where We Go From Here | E307 02:17:39
4. Independent Candidate Collin Corbett on His Campaign for Illinois Governor | E306 57:43
5. Illinois Cannabis: What Comes After the Omnibus? | E305 01:30:03