Advocates call for more equity in Illinois recreational cannabis industry
The activists said the state needs to cut red tape and lower barriers to entry.
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The activists said the state needs to cut red tape and lower barriers to entry.
Of those selected, 41% are majority Black-owned.
The artist is launching "93 Boyz" this weekend.
"The $1.5 billion in sales of adult-use cannabis in Illinois translates into significant tax revenue with a portion of every dollar spent being reinvested in communities that have suffered for decades."
The state issued 149 retail licenses on Friday, more than doubling the number of pot shops statewide.
Applicants have to finish their compliance checks before they can get their licenses.
"Black and Brown entrepreneurs are just sitting on the sidelines watching," said Akele Parnell, who won one of 185 new marijuana dispensary licenses being issued by the state after a lengthy court battle.
Despite promises of equity, legal red tape has crushed some Illinois marijuana businesses before they've even started. CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.
Despite promises of equity, legal red tape has crushed some businesses before they've even started.
"For us not to be open on this 4/20 is extremely frustrating."
CBS 2's Marie Saavedra talked with festival organizer Abigail Watkins.
The marijuana-friendly Waldos Forever Festival is set for Saturday – marking the first time it has been held since marijuana has been legal in Illinois for recreational use. CBS 2's Marie Saavedra talked with organizer Abigail Watkins.
April 20 may be just another day for some, but for others, it's 4/20 – an homage to marijuana.
The State of Illinois made $131 million last month alone in legal weed sales – but none of that marijuana was grown or produced by new state license winners trying to break into the industry.
The State of Illinois made $131 million last month alone in legal weed sales – but none of that marijuana was grown or produced by new state license winners trying to break into the industry. CBS 2's Tara Molina reports.
CBS 2's Tara Molina talked to two cannabis license winners who have been held up waiting to open their own businesses.
This St. Patrick's Day, the State of Illinois released an update on another kind of green – the billions of dollars in legalized weed sold in Illinois without one new license winner cleared to open in more than two years.
This St. Patrick's Day, the State of Illinois released an update on another kind of green – the billions of dollars in legalized weed sold in Illinois without one new license winner cleared to open in more than two years. CBS 2's Tara Molina talked to two entrepreneurs who remain in limbo.
Nearly $2.5 billion has poured into Illinois since recreational marijuana became legal in 2020, and with every sale, part of the tax goes to help fund community organizations.
This story is about a lottery winner – but it doesn't involve little white balls or scratch-off tickets.
Recreational marijuana sales continue to break records in Illinois, but the same companies have continued to cash in – until now.
Starting Monday, an activist group plans to stage a weeklong sit-in outside a marijuana dispensary, demanding reparations for ex-convicts who were put away for a drug that has now been made legal.
The contents of an evidence table tweeted out by the Cook County Sheriff's police on Wednesday seemed to show an assortment of packaging for familiar candy you might have received at Halloween as a kid – Nerds, Jolly Ranchers, Sweet Tarts, Starburst, Skittles. But take a closer look.
It has been more than a year since Illinois legalized and not one new operator has been given the green light to open up shop.
Marijuana sales in Illinois topped out at more than $108 million between recreational and medical dispensaries last month, state officials said Monday.
The Chicago Department of Public Health is taking steps to prevent West Nile virus in the area.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other officials broke ground Wednesday on an office-to-residential conversion project on the Magnificent Mile.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
A Wisconsin appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had declared Act 10 unconstitutional, keeping the 2011 law limiting public workers' collective bargaining rights in place as unions prepare to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer on charges that he defrauded clients out of more than $100 million.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday signed an executive order to toughen standards for where city departments and sister agencies buy guns, firearm accessories, and ammunition.
Hong's rise in the Wisconsin Democratic primary has exposed a sharp divide, with some voters saying they would cross party lines in November rather than support a DSA-aligned candidate.
Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate to testify on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in answering all questions.
In the year since President Trump signed an executive order aimed at moving homeless people off the streets, states have expanded involuntary treatment for the homeless.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
A Wisconsin appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had declared Act 10 unconstitutional, keeping the 2011 law limiting public workers' collective bargaining rights in place as unions prepare to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
The changing developments at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave. represent a microcosm of 40 years of changing development priorities on the Clybourn Corridor as a whole, and in Chicago and beyond.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
Actor William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, recall how they helped each other as they fought Stage 4 cancer side by side.
Carly Simon, the singer known for 1970s hits like "You're So Vain," announced she has Parkinson's disease and also was treated for basal cell carcinoma.
Paramount Skydance on Friday said it would delay the deal until as late as June 2027.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
ComEd crews are working to restore power three days after storms and tornadoes left communities with severe damage.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the extended forecast.
Aurora, Illinois, is celebrating six students who won second place in an international tech competition.
The 11th annual Cradles to Crayons Backpack-A-Thon is back and looking to support Chicago area children from head-to-toe.
Hair care brand "Mielle Organics" is hosting its first-ever pickleball tournament Thursday. The funds from this program will go to support a teen mental health program.
Recovery from the severe weather on Monday has stretched into a third day.
The search has resumed for a second contractor worker swept into a storm sewer Monday in Downers Grove during severe weather, though it has now become a recovery mission.
A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer on charges that he defrauded clients out of more than $100 million.
Lollapalooza 2026 takes over Grant Park Thursday with headlining performances from Lorde, Charli XCX, the Smashing Pumpkins, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae and more.
The Chicago Department of Public Health is taking steps to prevent West Nile virus in the area.
Earlier this month, charges were dropped in one case against Weinstein, but he still faces charges in New York and California.
The summer camp serves about 75 kids every year, with the mission to help them heal from a violent loss.
While Mayor Brandon Johnson hasn't announced if he will run for re-election next year, he's boasting about lower vacancy rates for Mag Mile buildings and taking credit for the positive changes.
A Lockport foster parent said he lost his kids, job and home for months after a mix-up that landed his name on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
Happ punctuated an 11-pitch at-bat with a two-run double to get the Cubs' scoring started.
The White Sox have lost four of five, including two consecutive games to New York.
The Chicago Bears hit the field at training camp for the first time on Tuesday, and head coach Ben Johnson is clearly fired up for his second season at the helm after a successful first year.
Alex Bregman had a homer, two doubles and drove in two runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer on charges that he defrauded clients out of more than $100 million.
Chicago police were searching Wednesday for two men in connection with a shooting that left a man wounded in the Northwest Side's Hermosa neighborhood.
Chicago police on Tuesday warned of a pattern of car thefts from parking garages at O'Hare International Airport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted what was described as a "cornucopia" of unapproved medications in a shipment at O'Hare International Airport recently.
Police have finally identified the remains of a woman murdered nearly a century ago and buried beneath a building in Toronto.
