TODAY IN CHICAGO...
⛅ Let's hope for a 420 miracle that this cold 30-degree day goes away.
Dubbed the "Silicon Valley of pot," weed is an especially lucrative business in Chicago. Three of the country's five biggest public companies that grow and sell marijuana are based in the city, and each one is projected to make more than $800 million in sales this year. Yet, local Black and brown entrepreneurs remain locked out of the industry.
When recreational weed was legalized in Illinois last year, the state's social equity program was supposed to help people of color break into the business. Last summer, the 75 dispensary licenses the state was supposed to award to diverse applicants got pushed back because of the pandemic. And Black and brown entrepreneurs lost investors, money, and loans.
Equity is badly needed beyond the business world. In 2020, Black people made up more than 75% of marijuana arrests, and Hispanic people made up 18%, according to Chicago Police Department data.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford is advocating for a cannabis-equity bill that would correct the licensing rollout and create more lottery drawings for recreational and medical licensing. [Crain's Chicago; WTTW; Chicago Tribune; Politico Illinois]
👉 What you can do: Check out dispensaries near you. [Chicago Sun-Times]
—Sidney Madden (@sidney_madden_)
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Warm pineapple cake with THC-infused coquito custard, roasted mango, and coconut-coffee ice cream dusted with hibiscus sugar. (Image provided by Manny Mendoza)
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These are not your mom’s pot brownies. City Cast Chicago talks with Manny Mendoza, a Pilsen native, whose culinary training and love of cannabis have transformed edibles into five-star dining experiences.
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▪️ A 7 year old was fatally shot at a McDonald's drive-thru
Jaslyn Adams and her father, Jontae, were in the car in Homan Square on Sunday when they were shot, killing the 7 year old and hospitalizing her father. Relatives remember Adams as a funny, joyful kid who loved TikTok and laughing. [CBS Chicago]
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🏙️ Janitors to get higher pay, better protections
A newly agreed upon three-year contract gives janitors who clean downtown and suburban office buildings higher wages, job recall rights, and other benefits, according to a SEIU Local 1 spokesperson. [Chicago Sun-Times]
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🍽️ Cinnamon rolls on the fifth floor
If y'all believed the Mayor Lori Lightfoot resignation rumors, you might've wanted to know about Vice Mayor Tom Tunney. The 44th Ward alderman owns Ann Sather, the Lakeview restaurant known — and should only be known — for its cinnamon roll, according to a City Cast Chicago listener. [Eater Chicago]
🗣️ Have a weak-ass take about Chicago like the cinnamon roll tip? Record your name, neighborhood, and unpopular opinion via voice memo, and email us — you could be on the pod 👀
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💉 Adult Chicagoans can get Moderna vaccines at Howard Brown Health. Call 872-269-3600 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for appointment info.
🦠 People who live or work in Summit, McCook, Hodgkins, Justice, Bridgeview or Chicago Ridge can get vaccinated at the Summit Park District Recreation Center Monday through Saturday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
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+ TODAY: Puff & Paint
Head to Roc Star Studio in Lakeview to paint, eat, and smoke from 12–3 p.m. or from 4–7 p.m.
+ TONIGHT: 'Weed Girls'
Canna Bella Lux is hosting a night for the girls ✨ Grab drinks at Carbon Arc bar at 7 p.m., and then catch a screening of "Mean Girls" at Davis Theater.
+ FRIDAY: Midnight Brunch and Yoga
Bottomless mimosas meets yoga meets partying at Silent Threat Studio's 420 BYOW celebration on Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight.
+ SATURDAY: Marijuana Master Class
Anyone who wants to break into the cannabis industry can attend this day-long educational certification program.
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A high schooler who delivered groceries and a CEO who provided internet access are among the 18 individuals and groups being honored by the city for helping others during the pandemic. [Chicago Sun-Times]
👉 What you can do: Stream today's ceremony, and read about the recipients.
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