New U Of I Class Aims To Dispel Myths About Cannabis
URBANA — When people think cannabis, they often think marijuana. But the cannabis plant takes many different forms, from medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) to industrial hemp. A new class at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to break down all the different uses of the crop and provide a foundation for students interested in entering the […]
New Marijuana Licensing Bill Heads To House Floor
SPRINGFIELD – A bill aimed at allowing more people from distressed communities to get into the lucrative recreational marijuana business is on its way to the House floor as lawmakers head into the final days of the spring 2021 session. “The bill will correct a flawed license lottery system that has prevented minorities from ownership […]
Mitigations Scaled Back In All Regions Of State; HS Sports Allowed
SPRINGFIELD – All regions of the state had moved out of Tier 3 mitigations as of Friday, Jan. 22, as the COVID-19 health metrics continue to show improvement statewide. “With all regions of Illinois now out of Tier 3, we can now see that the entire state is headed down the right path,”said Illinois Department of […]
Illinois Collects $62M In Cannabis Revenue For Minority Neighborhoods
CHICAGO — Illinois has collected $62 million from legalized marijuana sales that’s earmarked for helping minority businesses and neighborhood development, but the money hasn’t been spent yet, according to a published report. The reasons include problems with the state’s system to hand out new cannabis business licenses and numerous requests for help, according to The Chicago […]
News Around Illinois — Sept. 10, 2020
2 Applicants Rejected For Marijuana Licenses Sues Illinois CHICAGO (AP) — Two companies that were rejected for Illinois marijuana licenses have filed a lawsuit to delay the state from awarding licenses to the winning applicants. The state announced that only 21 of 700 applicants would proceed to a lottery for 75 licenses. Southshore Restore and […]
Data: Illinois Sees Record Cannabis Sales Amid Pandemic
CHICAGO — State figures show that recreational marijuana sales in Illinois total more than $300 million since the start of the year. The Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation and New Frontier Data reported that July cannabis sales were the highest of the year at $61 million. That number is up from 47.6 million […]
Locally ‘Essential,’ Federally Illegal: How Cannabis Dispensaries Are Handling The Pandemic
Like many small business owners, Amy Manganelli has taken a financial hit since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. So, a few weeks ago, she decided…
Farmers Lose Out As Thieves Mistake Hemp for Marijuana
For many farmers, 2019 was the first year of growing hemp, since it became legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. In addition to the normal challenges of…
Driving, Growing And Pets: Your Answers To Questions About Cannabis
We’re now in the third week of legal cannabis sales in Illinois. Here are some answers to questions sent into our site Ask The Newsroom.com during the week of January 13, 2020. WILL News Director Reginald Hardwick looked for answers for some of the questions. — What legal provisions are there for controlling driving high? […]
What Legalization Means For People With Cannabis Convictions In Illinois
When he was in his early 20s, Matt purchased a pound of weed to split with his friends. The drug dealer dropped it off at his apartment in central Illinois. Moments later, he said, cops stormed in, and arrested Matt and his friends. He spent a night in jail, two-and-half years on probation, and for […]
On Eve Of Legal Marijuana In Illinois, Governor Pardons 11,017 Past Convictions
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday issued pardons for more than 11,000 low-level marijuana convictions.