Chicago Norml led a protest at the Thompson Center on Wednesday morning to fight back against Illinois and all of their broken promises. Speaking in front of a bunch of reporters, they eloquently went over bills that they oppose, and their hopes for what social equity in Cannabis is supposed to be like. “So we stand together, united today to ask for support for the things that will make things better for all of us, so we can truly be the gold star cannabis industry that Illinois purports itself to be” says Kiana Hughes, and truer words have never been spoken. So many states look to Illinois as the blueprint for social equity, when in reality, Illinois is failing. Drastically.
What are they fighting for? Here are some highlights:
Licensed Craft Growers look to Expand their Growing Capacity to 14,000
What does this mean? Licensed craft growers are approved for up to 5,000 in growing capacity. The cost to run a 14,000 facility is more feasible, which we have already previously discussed in another blog post. READ HERE.
Consumers and Medical Patients Need Home Delivery and Safe Spaces to Consume
We all care about being able to safely consume. We all care. You should care. Medical patients should have a right to have their medicine delivered directly to their home as needed. We all know the need for a safe space to consume. We all wish we could have legal smoking lounges. None of that can be accomplished without changes in the laws.
Employees Need Changes to Laws That Disproportionately Keep Black and Brown Candidates from Working in the District
It is the responsibility of dispensaries and cannabis brands to hire black and brown employees. If your dispensary is not MAINLY run by black and brown people, DO NOT SHOP THERE. The majority of people incarcerated ARE black and brown. They deserve the opportunities that at one time they would’ve been incarcerated for. The legacy market suffered significantly because of the war on drugs, and now they are the ones being left out of this lucrative industry.
The most important thing that you need to know is that there are organizations out here fighting for the cannabis market of our dreams. Please follow and support Chicago Norml and the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition. It’s our responsibility to support and back changes that will help black and brown organizations within this industry. I know I speak a lot about not supporting dispensaries, but once you listen to members of these organizations explain the ways that social equity has failed in Illinois, you will understand.
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