Marijuana

Nicholas Hohns shows off a tray of strawberry-lemon CBD gummies at his Deutermann Farms kitchen in Clayton, N.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

A $28B hemp THC industry is fighting to save itself from a looming federal ban

By Gene Johnson

October 3, 2026 at 5:15 p.m.

The ban “threatens to reduce retail revenues by $28.3 billion, displacing 225,000 jobs and reducing...

A pedestrian crosses East Ontario Street at North Fairbanks Court in Chicago in 2018. The building at left contains 620 N. Fairbanks Ct., where cannabis store Guaranteed Dispensary opened late in 2025. (Jośe M. Osorio/baiduhai)

Judge upholds permit for controversial cannabis shop in Streeterville

By Robert McCoppin

September 10, 2026 at 4:20 p.m.

A judge upheld Chicago's permit for a controversial cannabis store in Streeterville, despite new evidence...

A Chicago resident shows a marijuana plant growing outdoors at her home garden on Aug. 19, 2026. The resident, who has a medical cannabis card, is currently growing four plants in her backyard to cultivate for personal use. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Illinois regulators propose allowing licensed cannabis producers to grow outdoors

By Robert McCoppin

August 20, 2026 at 6:10 p.m.

In a major reversal, Illinois regulators have proposed letting cannabis companies grow cannabis outdoors.

How much money states made from legal weed sales in 2020

By Maria Wood

September 9, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.

How much money states made from legal weed sales in 2020 | To determine how...

Toi Hutchinson, senior adviser to the governor on cannabis, at the Thompson Center on Jan. 2, 2020.

Illinois to hold an extra license lottery for applicants unfairly kept out of chances for marijuana retail shops

By Robert McCoppin

September 3, 2021 at 6:14 p.m.

To address more errors in the process of awarding cannabis licenses, Illinois will hold an...

Carla Curry, of Christopher, Illinois, smokes cannabis as her friend Betty McPherson, of Morganfield, Kentucky, looks on at the Luna Lounge, a cannabis consumption lounge, in Sesser on July 15, 2021.

Cannabis smoking lounges off to successful start in Illinois. ’60- and 70-year-old dudes walking in with their tie-dye.’

By Robert McCoppin

August 31, 2021 at 3:08 p.m.

Cannabis smoking lounges, slow to open in Illinois since marijuana was legalized last year, are...

Betty McPherson, of Morganfield, Kentucky, smokes cannabis at the Luna Lounge on July 15, 2021. McPerson says she smokes cannabis for medical reasons.

Cannabis smoking lounges off to successful start in Illinois

By Contributed Content

March 29, 2022 at 9:47 a.m.

Cannabis smoking lounges, slow to open in Illinois since marijuana was legalized in 2020, are...

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, right, at a news conference on March 16, 2021, about creating pathways for minority owners to become marijuana license holders.

Those who lost shot at Illinois marijuana licenses want investigation of lottery winners with political connections, industry ties

By Robert McCoppin

August 23, 2021 at 5:33 p.m.

Now that Illinois has concluded its first round of lotteries to award marijuana retail licenses,...

Brittany Robinson, an attorney who applied for a job as a Cook County assistant public defender, was rejected because she used marijuana on her own time.

Marijuana drug tests in the workplace would follow same standard as DUI, under proposed change in Illinois law

By Robert McCoppin

August 20, 2021 at 2:50 p.m.

After years working successfully as an electrical substation operator for ComEd, Andre Burson said, he...

A judge continued to keep in limbo new cannabis store licenses in Illinois while one applicant alleges that the state mistakenly kept it out of the first lottery to award licenses.

Recreational cannabis store licenses remain in limbo while court fights continue. One group alleges it was mistakenly kept out of lottery.

By Robert McCoppin

August 10, 2021 at 2:47 p.m.

A judge continued to keep in limbo new cannabis store licenses in Illinois while one...

Plants in growing room at Cresco Labs in Joliet on Dec. 17, 2019.

New cannabis licensees in Illinois face David vs. Goliath fight against industry giants

By Robert McCoppin

September 16, 2021 at 11:54 a.m.

As Illinois begins to award much-delayed cannabis business licenses, the new business owners will face...

A festival goer smokes marijuana at Lollapalooza on July 29, 2021, in Chicago.

Companies like Amazon are rethinking drug testing as cannabis legalization grows. Some Illinois employers will still fire you for it.

By Robert Channick

August 2, 2021 at 4:02 p.m.

As people begin to filter back into the office after a year-and-a-half in Zoom exile,...

Cannabis use not linked to loss of motivation, according to study

By Fresh Toast

July 30, 2021 at 10:36 a.m.

A new study conducted on teens finds no connection between marijuana use and loss of...