CHICAGO (WLS) — On January 1, 2020, recreational consumption, possession, and sales of cannabis products became legal in the State of Illinois.
In July, a study by the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office found that 60% of all cannabis business licenses went to minority or women-owned businesses.
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When broken down by race, 27% are majority Black owners, 5% are Latino, 3% are Asian and 14% are a mixed coalition.
However, not one dollar of sales was documented going to Black or Brown owners when the study ended in 2023. Instead, white male owners took in 78% of recreational dispensary sales and 91% of grower sales.
Here’s what experts say can be done to increase diversity in Illinois’ adult use cannabis industry.
Cannabis advocate and license holder Lisbeth Vargas Jaimes says some restrictions need to be loosened.
“Unlike other states like California who allow …