You’ve likely heard the term craft cannabis or possibly tried several Craft brands from D33 already! In this blog, we break down Craft Growers and brands in Illinois, dive into some differences between “Craft” and larger-scale Cultivation Centers and elaborate on the positive change we think this could bring for Illinois Cannabis.
Within the first ten years of Illinois Cannabis, one of the biggest impacts on the market has been the installation of Craft Grower licenses and the effects are still in their early stages. Initially, 32 licenses were approved, but it has quickly grown to 88 Craft Grow licenses in Illinois, each of which has a collection of brands they produce. These brands vary from offering small batch flower and concentrate with unique and rotating genetics to nationally known edible brands, which are finally emerging into the Illinois cannabis scene. They are all a must-try! At the end of this article, we’ve listed all craft brands we currently carry in-store. Ask your budtender about which Craft brands we have available and determine a taste for yourself! The list is ever growing!
The legal difference between craft and legacy operators simply refers to the type of license they acquired from the state. The Craft licensing has limitations regarding vertical integration, facility sizing, and restrictions regarding infusing products without separate licensing. (Yes, quite confusing). To put it simply, craft growers are an operation with a smaller grow facility. The upside this provides for Craft brands is their lower startup costs and ability to create niche items and strain collections, which brings a new level of innovation into the Illinois marketplace. Since Craft hit the market in 2023, 100’s of new brands have emerged, bringing new products and genetics, and consumers now have more options than ever! Our hope for this influx of new brands is that the naturally competitive climate will shed light on quality and what sticks in the industry.
To grasp the difference in sizing, a Craft Grower facility starts with a canopy limitation of 5,000 square feet (slightly larger than a full basketball court), which can be 42 times less size than the largest Cultivation Centers. While the smaller growing space can increase costs due to production capacity and other reasons, it also allows for more opportunities to take risks or experiment with new genetics for flower, or edible styles & flavors, as well as smaller, limited releases of product into the market. Ultimately, the Craft licensing in Illinois allows new brands (local and from around the country) to bring their products to the Illinois consumer, and your new favorite product could be introduced any moment! Ask your budtender about their favorite Craft group and you’ll likely become a fan as well!
Here’s our growing list craft brands we carry in store:
Doc C’s
Cheetah
Nez
Otherside
Kanha
OGeez!
Smokiez
Wyld
Good Tide
Elevated Organics
HiJnx
Pheotera
BREEZE Canna
IC Collective
Kaviar
Oregonix
Northern Heights
Contract Canna
Nuvata
Generic
CQ
Artet
Senorita
Dibz
Flora Arbor
Royal Tree
Khalifa Kush
TiCAL
1 Zip
Napalm
Revenent
Buddies
1937
Higher Self
Terp Kings
Outfitters
Redemption Botanicals
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Until next time,
D33
