Illinois grants more licenses for cannabis businesses
Of those selected, 41% are majority Black-owned.
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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.
They did everything right – secured a space, put the money up, and now they're waiting for a marijuana license.
The walk across any graduation stage is short, but for some students, it can be quite the journey to get there. Nearly 200 students on Friday graduated from Excel Academies of Chicago, high schools that give struggling students an alternative path to graduation.
Chicago police cars and Department of Streets and Sanitation salt trucks have blocked off the entrances to Rainbow Beach on the South Side, where a teen takeover is planned for Friday night.
Two boys were airlifted to the hospital after one of them inhaled water while roughhousing at Matthiessen State Park during a school field trip on Friday.
The mentoring group Focus Fairies throws events for girls in Chicago who may be dealing with violence so they can feel like children again.
Chicago police are looking for a person who attacked a 56-year-old man on a CTA Red Line platform early Friday in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
The clock is ticking in Springfield on legislation that could determine where the Bears build a new stadium, with state lawmakers facing a Sunday night deadline to pass a deal before the end of their spring session.
A judge blocked the Kennedy Center from closing its doors during renovations, and ruled that its board acted unlawfully by adding President Trump's name to the building. The president reacted by saying he wants Congress to take it over.
Owners of electric bikes, scooters and other modes of transportation could soon be subject to new regulations under a bill moving forward in the Statehouse.
The Justice Department announced the $1.7 billion fund as part of a settlement of a civil lawsuit President Trump brought against the IRS.
Democratic lawmakers argue the Trump administration must get express consent from Congress before continuing construction on the White House ballroom.
A new study from the Cook County Treasurer's office underlines growing concerns about the impact the Illinois megaprojects bill could have on the county's property tax base and overall fiscal health.
As thousands of Chicagoans wrap up road trips over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, gas prices in the city have reached the highest levels seen in four years.
Consumer and environmental advocates said Monday that they found overcharges buried in the most recent rate-hike request by Nicor.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
Menopause can feel like a major turning point for millions of women, with symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog can make women feel like their bodies aren't their own.
The head of the World Health Organization says Ebola has killed at least 7 people in Congo, but the U.N. agency says it knows the epidemic "is much larger."
A person suspected of having hantavirus in Winnebago County, Illinois, turned out to be a false alarm, officials said Monday.
The DuPage County Health Department has confirmed its first positive tests for West Nile virus in pools of mosquitoes this year.
The Kane County Health Department was set Monday to offer a free mental health awareness webinar.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
DraftKings announced Monday that it is closing its sportsbook operation at Wrigley Field after only about two years.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
Many artists announced for the Freedom 250 concert series in Washington, D.C., this summer, say they won't be performing.
Sonny Rollins, the legendary tenor saxophonist known for his bold tone and constant experimentation, has died at 95.
Former CBS Chicago anchorman Bill Kurtis has signed off from his role as the judge and scorekeeper on the NPR weekly news quiz show "Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!"
Pop star Britney Spears said she was "totally fine" to drive and had not had a drink for about six hours when she was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol.
After nearly a century on the air, CBS News Radio signed off, with the final reports airing on Friday, May 22.
Ryan Gareis is a former Neuqua Valley high school soccer star. After standout college run at South Carolina, she spent the first four years of her NWSL career in Houston. Now, she's playing for her hometown team, the Chicago Stars.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First ALert Weather forecast.
On the same day a man charged with shooting LaPorte County Sheriff’s deputy Jon Samuelson appeared in court, the wounded officer’s co-workers sold "Sammy Strong" wristbands on Friday afternoon to raise money to support the wounded deputy's family.
The walk across any graduation stage is short, but for some students, it can be quite the journey to get there. Nearly 200 students on Friday graduated from Excel Academies of Chicago, high schools that give struggling students an alternative path to graduation.
Chicago police cars and Department of Streets and Sanitation salt trucks have blocked off the entrances to Rainbow Beach on the South Side, where a teen takeover is planned for Friday night.
The clock is ticking in Springfield on legislation that could determine where the Bears build a new stadium.
A long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit can be one of the most difficult journeys a parent can face, but starting next week, Illinois becomes only the second state in the nation to offer NICU-specific leave for moms and dads.
A second lawsuit has been filed against a second massive data center project in Yorkville, Illinois, led by a family farm that says it'll turn their land into a "concrete jungle."
Police said he had been released from prison in January after serving time for a 2021 bank robbery and had active warrants in DuPage County.
The walk across any graduation stage is short, but for some students, it can be quite the journey to get there. Nearly 200 students on Friday graduated from Excel Academies of Chicago, high schools that give struggling students an alternative path to graduation.
A long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit can be one of the most difficult journeys a parent can face, but starting next week, Illinois becomes only the second state in the nation to offer NICU-specific leave for moms and dads.
Chicago has the largest air quality monitoring network in the country thanks to a partnership between the city, the University of Illinois Chicago, and local community groups.
An Indiana State Police trooper was shot, and a suspect was killed during a shootout with officers during a traffic stop on I-80/94 in Hammond, Indiana.
Data centers popping up all over Illinois are sucking up millions of gallons of water a day, at a pace that the state can't keep up with. But experts say tapping into wastewater resources would steer the state in a new and much safer direction.
Many Metra riders with disabilities have been forced to reroute their trips due to Monday's closure of the only elevator providing access to the Electric Line at Millennium Station in downtown Chicago.
The Chicago Cubs handed Paul Skenes his third straight loss with a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson already has very high praise for what he's seen from second-year wide receiver Luther Burden III after just the second practice of the team's OTAs.
Davis Martin allowed one run on two hits over six innings to win his sixth straight decision as the Chicago White Sox cruised to a 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.
Munetaka Murakami went 2 for 4 with a solo homer. His 20 home runs are tied with Gary Sánchez (New York Yankees, 2015-16) and Wally Berger (Boston Braves, 1930) for second in MLB history through 55 career games.
The Chicago Cubs ended their 10-game losing streak with a 10-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ian Roberts, who led Des Moines Public Schools, is likely to be deported to his native Guyana once he serves a 2-year federal prison sentence for citizenship fraud and illegal firearms possession.
New DNA technology helped secure the arrest of a man accused in the brutal murder of a woman in downstate Illinois more than 30 years ago.
Thieves crashed a sport-utility vehicle into a convenience store in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood early Wednesday.
Chicago police were investigating Wednesday morning after thieves broke into a corner store in the city's Hermosa neighborhood.
A person of interest was in police custody early Wednesday morning in connection with a shooting that killed a teenage boy and critically wounded two men in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood.
