Compared to the raucous press conference Illinois cannabis social equity advocates held three weeks ago, Tuesday’s effort to demonstrate unity behind new proposed legislation was like comparing indica to sativa.
“I’m all smiles today. All smiles,” said advocate Rickey Hendon, moments after he hugged fellow advocate and sometime sparring partner Edie Moore for the cameras.
An array of cannabis social equity advocates gathered Tuesday morning to trumpet their support of legislation they had been furiously negotiating over – with Hendon and Moore’s last press conference emphasizing “furious” – and finally came to agreement on. The bill is meant to break a log jam in the state legislature over creating new cannabis dispensary licenses targeted at black and brown applicants.