Grown Rogue Takes Full Ownership of Illinois Cultivation Project

MEDFORD – Grown Rogue International Inc. has acquired the remaining 30% stake in its Illinois subsidiary, Rogue EBC LLC, for $1.5 million. The transaction, announced Sunday, brings the company’s ownership to 100% and clears the way for unencumbered development of a new indoor facility in the state.

The payment structure spreads the cost over time: $500,000 at closing, another $500,000 in six months, and the final $500,000 due either 15 months from closing or upon the first harvest, whichever comes sooner. The deal awaits final sign-off from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

This buyout stems from a joint venture formed last March with EBC Ventures, an operator experienced in manufacturing. Grown Rogue initially held a 70% share in the partnership, aimed at building a cultivation and processing site to tap into Illinois’s established adult-use market. Construction remains on track for completion in H1 2026, with initial harvests expected by year’s end.

Grown Rogue operates cultivation sites in Oregon, Michigan, and New Jersey. The Oregon-based company emphasizes consistent, high-end indoor-grown flower, drawing on the Rogue Valley’s agricultural roots. Its entry into Illinois marks a calculated expansion into a Midwest powerhouse, where total Cannabis sales surpassed $2 billion in the prior year and continue to climb amid steady consumer demand.

From a business standpoint, the $1.5 million price tag for a one-third slice of an undeveloped but licensed asset looks measured, especially given the facility’s projected output and the state’s regulatory stability. Illinois’s market, now in its fifth year of recreational sales, favors operators who can scale quality without excess overhead, a niche where Grown Rogue has posted strong results elsewhere. Full control here sidesteps potential disputes over strategy, letting the company deploy its playbook directly on-site selection, strain development and yield optimization.

That said, execution carries risks. Delays in construction or softer-than-expected wholesale prices could pressure returns, particularly as Illinois hosts over 100 craft growers vying for shelf space. Grown Rogue’s track record [top flower rankings in Oregon and quick ramps in New Jersey] suggests it can handle the heat, but the real test comes with that debut crop.

Overall, this filing fits a broader pattern among mid-tier producers: snapping up control in high-potential states to fortify balance sheets ahead of federal shifts or economic turns. Grown Rogue now stands better equipped to harvest value from Illinois’s steady growth, proving that in Cannabis, timing a partner’s exit can turn into your own quiet win.