The Cole Memo

I recently wrote about a new state reference lab, mentioned in the Chicago Tribune, which is part of the Cannabis Research Institute (CRI). CRI operates under the Discovery Partners Institute, a research center within the University of Illinois system.

Tomorrow at 1 PM, the Cannabis Research Institute will host a livestream update featuring panelists and possible appearances by Governor Pritzker and University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen.

Important Note: You can read key takeaways from the Cannabis Research Institute’s live stream by clicking here.

Members of the news media and the public are invited to register.

CRI, a collaborative initiative with Illinois’ Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office, recently secured $7 million in funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Panelists include:

• Reggie Gaudino: CRI Director and molecular geneticist
• Donell Barnett: Behavioral health advisor and CRI program officer
• Nathaniel Inglis Steinfeld: Deputy Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer
• Eva-Dina Delgado: Illinois State Representative

Mila Marshall, who writes and edits the “Cannabis Corner” column for Chicago News Weekly, will moderate. Marshall helped write Illinois HB1438, which makes legal cannabis use, possession and purchase in limited amounts and provides for regulation and licensing in its distribution.

Click here to register. (Registrants later will have access to a recording of the session)

Learn more about CRI here

#258 – The Reality of Being a Craft Grower in Illinois – The Cole Memo

In this episode of The Cole Memo, I will sit down with an Illinois cannabis operator for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to try to build a business in the state’s legal market. Watch video version and read show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/02/08/e258/

1. #258 – The Reality of Being a Craft Grower in Illinois 01:50:16
2. #257 – Illinois Cannabis Sales Drop as Lawmakers Revisit Search Rules 21:58
3. #254 – Announcing the Midwest Cannabis Forum + Other Discussion on Cannabis Policy Today 59:16
4. #256 – Illinois Cannabis Reform 2026: What Advocates Want and What Might Actually Move 01:22:48
5. #255 – Arrests Keep Coming in “Legal” Illinois 01:18:46