Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Friday that the city will host its first-ever cannabis resource fair.
The goal of the fair, scheduled to take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 1 at the UIC Forum at 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., is to connect residents with employment and business opportunities in the growing recreational marijuana industry, city officials said in a press release.
“With our first-of-its-kind resource fair, we’re teaming up with experts representing all angles of this new industry to empower our residents who are either interested in learning more or becoming the next employee, business owner or investor in Chicago’s newest industry, with the resources they need to succeed,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in the release.
The fair will feature a variety of panel discussions, including one that will highlight how construction, security and electrical contractors can work in the industry.
The fair will also connect residents with expungement and legal aid assistance, and offer more information on cannabis regulations and laws within the city.
“Since day one, we have worked hand-in-hand with city and state officials, community advocates and industry partners to build a framework that ensures cannabis legalization uplifts the economic life of all our neighborhoods and residents, particularly those in our black and brown communities who have borne the brunt of the war on drugs,” Lightfoot said.
The fair will be hosted in partnership with cannabis businesses, industry experts, social equity leaders, advocacy groups, government agencies and legal aid groups.
The fair is free to the public. Anyone interested in attending can register here.
