Craft cannabis

Craft cannabis is an industry and marketing term — largely without uniform regulatory definition — for small-batch, artisanally cultivated cannabis emphasizing quality, hand-trimming, unique cultivars, sustainable methods, and terpene expression over yield or raw THC. The term parallels "craft beer" and "craft spirits" culturally. Grow spaces under 10,000 sq ft (often under 5,000) are commonly described as craft. Illinois is the notable regulatory exception, offering a formal Craft Grower license under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act: an initial 5,000 sq ft flowering canopy expandable in 3,000 sq ft increments to 14,000 sq ft (the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules approved the expansion in December 2023), capped at 150 statewide licenses, with a $40,000 license fee halved for social equity applicants. As of IDOA's FY2024 report, 87 craft grower licenses had been issued — all to social equity applicants — with only 16 operational. Canada's analogous Health Canada "micro-cultivation" license permits up to 200 square meters of canopy. Advocates warn that without a protected definition, large producers can engage in ⚠️ "craft-washing" by marketing non-artisanal product as craft. → See also: Cottage license, Microbusiness, Cultivator