The city of Chicago will host its first-ever “cannabis resource fair” on Saturday to provide residents with information about legal marijuana business opportunities, expungement and legal aid assistance, as well as other information about weed laws.
The city’s resource fair will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Dorin Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Road, and it will be free. There will be six panels and a keynote discussion with Lightfoot; Wanda James, the first African American woman to own a marijuana dispensary in Colorado; and state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who sponsored the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act.
There also will be a “know your rights” presentation featuring Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s marijuana adviser Toi Hutchison, a discussion about expungement of marijuana-related criminal convictions, contracting opportunities, navigating Chicago regulations, and panels on starting a business in the legal marijuana industry and working in the marijuana industry.
“Ensuring this emerging industry brings unprecedented economic and social benefits to our communities has been at the heart of our efforts since day one,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “By working hand-in-hand with city and state officials, community advocates, and industry partners and providing residents with the resources they need to succeed, we can empower those interested in becoming the next employee, business owner or investor in Chicago’s newest industry.”
The city’s legal weed bonanza began Jan. 1 after a state law took effect, legalizing recreational marijuana. But it’s been met with criticism that there aren’t more African Americans among the ranks of owners in what promises to be a lucrative industry.