According to the ACLU, Black people in Illinois were 7.5 times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses prior to the state’s decriminalization of the drug in 2016. #cannabis
Of the businesses selected for licenses, 41% are majority Black-owned, 7% are majority White-owned, and 4% are majority Latino-owned, while 38% of awardees did not disclose the race of their owners
"Illinois is leading the way in addressing the War on Drugs as no state has before, and dispensary ownership that reflects our state's diversity is a product of that commitment," said Governor JB Pritzker.