BACK TO YOU.
>> PARIS, THANK YOU.
>> IT'S BEEN NEARLY
TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS SINCE
ILLINOIS LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL
CANNABIS AND A LOT HAS CHANGED
WHEN IT COMES TO THE MARIJUANA
INDUSTRY AND CULTURE.
BUT MUCH HAS NOT.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US NOW TO
EXPLAIN.
AMANDA?
>> BRANDIS WE'RE REPORTING THIS
STORY ON 4-20, A DATE ASSOCIATED
WITH MARIJUANA AND COMPANIES IN
THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY ARE
CELEBRATING.
I'M TALKING CONTESTS, PANEL WITH
EXPERTS A YOGA WORKSHOP AND FOOD
SPECIALS INCLUDING PIECES OF
PIZZA WITH, YES, JALAPENOS AND
CHEETOS SERVED ON TOP.
BUT STATE REPRESENTATIVE
LaSHAWN FORD SAYS ILLINOIS HAS
FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THE PROMISE
OF THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA
LAW.
>> PEOPLE THAT WE INTENDED TO BE
EMERGING IN THIS MARKET HAVE NOT
YET EMERGED BECAUSE THEY ARE
STILL TIED UP IN COURT.
AND THOSE ARE THE BLACK PEOPLE
AND BROWN PEOPLE REALLY THAT
ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN A TARGET OF
THE WAR ON DRUGS.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE LAW FOR THE
INTENT HAS FAILED.
>> THE GOVERNOR TOUTED ILLINOIS'
MARIJUANA LAW AS A PATH TO RIGHT
THE WRONGS AND PROMISES OF
SOCIAL EQUITY.
INSTEAD THE ONLY PLACES AS FORD
ELUDED TO WHERE YOU CAN LEGALLY
BUY WEED ARE THOSE CONNECTED TO
DISPENSARIES THAT OPENED IN 2015
WHEN ILLINOIS OPENED THE DOORS
TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
YOU COULD CALL THEM LEGACY
OWNERS.
ANOTHER 185 GROUPS COMPETED AND
WON STATE LICENSES TO OPEN NEW
DISPENSARIES UNDER THAT SOCIAL
EQUITY PROMISE.
BUT THEY ARE STILL WAITING
COMPLICATIONS AND QUESTIONS
ABOUT THAT LOTTERY PROCESS AND
LAWSUITS FILED INCLUDING BY
THOSE WHO LOST A LICENSE.
FORD SAYS THAT A FLAWED IN THE
ORIGINAL BILL THAT ILLINOIS
LEGISLATORS PASSED OPENED THE
STATE UP TO THAT LITIGATION.
>> PEOPLE ARE AND THEY HAVE
EVERY RIGHT TO BE TICKED BECAUSE
THEY PUT THEIR LIFE INVESTMENTS
IN THIS AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE
TO WEATHER THE STORM.
>> COUNT FRANK COWAN AMONG THEM.
HE DID WIN A LICENSE WITH THE
GROUP PLANET 13 ILLINOIS.
AND HE HAS PLANS TO OPEN A
DISPENSARY.
IT WILL BE DIFFERENT NOT LIKE
SOME SHOPS WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE A
DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
HE SAYS HE WANTS THIS TO BE
DIFFERENT WITH RETAIL OR A
RESTAURANT.
BUT ALL THAT ON HOLD.
HE DOES HAVE FINANCIAL BACKING
FROM A GROUP WITH MULTISTATE
NATIONAL PRESENCE.
HE IS ABLE TO HOLD ON.
SO THE LOCATION IS IN LIMBO AND
HE IS WORRIED ABOUT THOSE WHO
DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS TO DEEP
POCKETS.
>> WE'RE STILL SPENDING MONEY ON
ATTORNEYS AND SPENDING MONEY ON
ZONING EXPERTS.
I MEAN WE'RE SPENDING MONEY AND
WE DON'T HAVE HAVE AN END IN
SIGHT.
DON'T BE SOME OF US, US, TALKING
ABOUT US 185 LOTTERY WINNERS
THAT WON'T BE FINANCIALLY
SITUATED TO OPEN BECAUSE IT'S
TAKING SO LONG.
PEOPLE LOST EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF
THIS.
PEOPLE HAVE LOST FINANCIAL
BACKING BECAUSE OF THIS.
>> THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF
WELL, GREEN, SINCE ILLINOIS
LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL CANNABIS
WITH 1.4 BILLION OF SALES IN
2021.
COWAN SAYS THERE IS A LOT OF
MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
>> IF I WERE OPEN I WOULD ADD
ABOUT 200 JOBS NOT TO MENTION
ALL THE OTHER 184 APPLICANTS
ADDING JOBS.
IF WE WERE OPEN INSTEAD OF THE
STATE GENERATING 1.37 BILLION WE
WOULD GENERATE CLOSER TO 2
BILLION.
AND WITH THAT EXTRA 630 MILLION
MORE TAX REVENUE GENERATED.
THE STATE IS LOSING OUT AND
EMPLOYEES ARE LOSING OUT.
ONLY PEOPLE ARE WINNING ARE THE
LEGACY DISPENSARY OWNERS.
>> STATE REPRESENTATIVE CURTIS
TARVER SAYS THAT ILLINOIS ERRED
IN THE FIRST PLACE THE STATE WAS
SUPER CAUTIOUS ABOUT BEING
CAREFUL TO NOT INVITE LAWSUITS
BY PRIORITIZING TOO MUCH SOCIAL
EQUITY APPLICANTS AND OWNERSHIP
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY PEOPLE
OF COLOR AND INSTEAD THOSE HE
SAYS WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD IT
BESET BY LITIGATION.
>> I THINK FOREVER GONE BUT THAT
DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS NO
OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER GET
WHERE THE PROMISE WE WOULD HAVE
BEEN.
BUT MY HOPE AND MY LITTLE BIT OF
OPTIMISM IS THAT WE WILL BE
BEYOND WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
>> THAT IS TARVER SAYS ONCE THE
COURTS LAND ILLINOIS WILL BE
ABLE TO MAKE A MOVE AND HE IS
CALLING FOR MORE MONEY TO BE
SPENT TO UPLIFT AND INCUBATE
BUSINESSES RUN BY PEOPLE OF
COLOR.
MEANWHILE OTHER RELATED ISSUES
ARE PLAGUING THE CANNABIS
INDUSTRY.
CRAFT GROW LICENSES AWARDED TO
COMPANIES TO CULTIVATE MARIJUANA
ARE SEEK THE ABILITY TO GROW
MORE THAN THE LIMITED AMOUNTS
THAT THE LAW ALLOWS.
BUT THAT CHANGE DID NOT PASS IN
THE RECENTLY ADJOURNED
LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
THE NEGOTIATIONS SAY PART OF WHY
IS BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE
CURRENTLY CULTIVATING MARIJUANA
ARE PUSHING BACK ON POTENTIAL
COMPETITION.
ILLINOIS DID NOT ASK DURING THE
LEGISLATION SESSION ON A EFFORT
TO PREVENT COMPANIES FROM FIRING
WORKERS WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR
MARIJUANA.
COWAN IS TRYING TO MAKE FOLK AS
WEAR OF THE STALLED LICENSE
SITUATION.
>> PEOPLE IN ILLINOIS THEY DON'T
REALIZE THAT YOU GO TO YOUR
LOCAL DISPENSARY AND THERE'S NO
BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE THAT OWN
THOSE DISPENSARIES.
ILLINOIS TOUTED A SUCCESS THIS
PROGRAM WAS BUT PEOPLE DON'T
KNOW IT IS A FAILURE BECAUSE
NONE OF US HAVE A PHYSICAL
LOCATION WE CAN BE PROFITABLE.
WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE
GENERATIONAL WEALTH FOR OUR
FAMILIES AND WE'RE GETTING SHOT
IN THE FOOT BECAUSE ILLINOIS IS
STAGNANT ON THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
>> THE MARIJUANA LAW DID OTHER
THINGS INCLUDING PAVING THE PATH
FOR EXPUNGING CRIMES ASSOCIATED
WITH MARIJUANA.
ESSENTIALLY CLEARING THE RECORDS
FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONVICTED OF
CRIMES DEALING WITH POT THAT
WOULD NOW BE LEGAL.
THE COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY
SAYS THAT ON FRIDAY SHE WILL
PRESENT 214 CANNABIS CASES TO BE
EXPUNGED.
KIM FOXX'S OFFICE SAYS IT WILL
MAKE IT A TOTAL OF 15,000
EXPUNGED CASES.
SHE SAYS THERE IS STILL ABOUT
600 MORE IN THE SYSTEM BUT THERE
IS INSUFFICIENT DATA TO PROCESS
THOSE SOME DATING BACK DECADES.
WITH THAT BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.