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

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