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(WTTW News) |
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A key Chicago City Council committee advanced a proposal to ban the sale of intoxicating hemp products throughout the city on Wednesday even after dozens of business owners pleaded with members not to force their stores to close.
The License and Consumer Protection Committee voted 10-6 to send the measure to the full City Council for a final vote on Dec. 10. The proposal faces an uncertain fate and the opposition of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
More context:
Johnson’s original proposed spending plan for 2026 would have regulated intoxicating hemp products in an effort backed by Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, who has urged the City Council to do more to protect Chicago children and teens from the products.
That measure would have banned the sale of delta-8 and other hemp-derived snacks, drinks and products to those younger than 21 years old while prohibiting the sale of all products designed “to resemble a branded candy, cookie, chip or other snack food” in an attempt to stop the items from attracting the attention of children looking for a treat.
The measure would have also imposed a $2 per item tax that officials projected would add $10 million to the city’s coffers.
That effort fell apart after the federal government banned the sale of products that contain less than 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the main intoxicating compound in cannabis better known as THC, starting in November 2026.
That left efforts by city officials to regulate intoxicating hemp products in limbo, even as Ige said they could pose a threat to Chicagoans of all ages.
Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward), who is one of seven alderpeople to pass a measure banning the sale of intoxicating hemp products in their wards, said the city should immediately ban the sale of all products containing hemp outside licensed cannabis dispensaries.
In all, bans on the sale of these products are in place in seven wards, and similar bans are pending in three other wards.
Before the vote, dozens of business owners pleaded with alderpeople to delay any action that could force them to shutter their businesses and pledged to protect children and teens.
Johnson does not support a citywide ban. |
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Leighton Criminal Court Building (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) |
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Weeks after a Chicago man who’d been released on electronic monitoring allegedly set a CTA Blue Line passenger on fire, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said she wants to review ways to “make that system work.”
Speaking at the City Club of Chicago on Tuesday to mark her first year as the county’s top prosecutor, O’Neill Burke said her office will be looking into possible improvements to the electronic monitoring system.
“This is gonna be something that we’re looking into and talking about and seeing ways that we can make that system work,” she said.
Some backstory:
O’Neill Burke’s comments come days after Lawrence Reed — a man with a lengthy criminal record who had been released this year on electronic monitoring following his arrest on aggravated battery charges — allegedly doused a Blue Line passenger in gasoline and lit her on fire at random.
The victim survived, but was critically injured and Reed now faces a federal terrorism charge. But the case has launched a renewed conversation over electronic monitoring and the statewide elimination of cash bail in 2023.
O’Neill Burke previously called the attack “a tragedy” and said in a social media post that CTA safety is “essential for Chicago to thrive.” On her first day in office last year, she instituted a new policy requiring that prosecutors in her office seek pre-trial detention in all cases involving violent offenses that occur on public transit.
“It’s almost like a ‘split the baby’ kind of thing,’” she said Tuesday. “If we’re asking for detention, judges will say, ‘Well I don’t want to detain him, but I’m not gonna just release him. I’ll put him on electronic monitoring.’ And that’s a false equivalency. It makes people feel safe and they are not safe.” |
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Two customers approach a street vendor’s cart in this file photo. (WTTW News) |
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Many of Chicago’s street vendors say they’re being pushed out of business amid concerns over federal immigration enforcement. A number of vendors have stopped selling altogether since the start of what the Trump administration called “Operation Midway Blitz.”
Throughout the year, you can typically find vendors in neighborhoods across the city selling food like elotes, tamales, tacos and raspados. In Little Village, there used to be numerous vendors lined up along 26th Street at any given time. But over the past two months, that reality has changed and fewer vendors are on the street.
The Street Vendors Association of Chicago said the situation is becoming desperate. Vice President Juan Gama said many can’t work and are struggling to make ends meet. To help, the association launched a street vendor relief fund.
What happened next took them by surprise.
The association not only met its GoFundMe goal of $300,000 — it exceeded that goal, raising more than $339,300 by Wednesday afternoon. With more than 6,000 street vendors across Chicago, the Street Vendors Association aims to reach at least 1,000 vendors. So far, they’ve distributed $500 checks to 150 vendors.
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Filmmaker Robert Townsend, a native of Chicago’s West Side, will return home for a pop-up film festival. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday and features a variety of film screenings, discussions, a game night and a master class taught by Townsend himself.
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Back in the Day: Dec. 4, 2015 - City Releases 300 Pages of Police Reports and Documents About Laquan McDonald Case
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Ten years ago today, on a Friday night, hundreds of pages of police reports and documents related to the killing of Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke were released to the public by city officials. The trove of files highlighted CPD's initial response to the shooting, which was later contradicted by publicly released dashcam footage of the incident. As the Guardian points out, one of the documents said that, “In defense of his life, Van Dyke backpedaled and fired his handgun at McDonald, to stop the attack.” But when the video of the incident was published in November 2015, it showed McDonald walking away from officers before he was shot 16 times in October 2014. These files sparked further skepticism on how CPD handled the case and demonstrations seeking justice for McDonald continued throughout the following days.
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This Week’s Arts and Culture Events |
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Each Thursday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry highlights the city’s must-see cultural events.
Josh Terry: Even if you’re feeling snowed in and wintered out already, this city’s bountiful arts and culture offerings will give you a good reason to get out of the house. From a cultural offering at one of the city’s newest museums to a family-friendly musical and a not-so-family friendly stand up act, you’ll likely find something to love in the listings below.
Museum: Open Mike Eagle — Public Housing Museum
Chicago's Public Housing Museum hosts a series called "Artist as Instigator," which blends "arts and culture to make creative public policy interventions around housing and related issues." The latest featured artist in this event is rapper and producer Open Mike Eagle, who grew up in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. On Thursday at 6 p.m., the museum will interview Eagle before he begins his residency. Details and RSVP can be found here.
Musical: “Elf” — Auditorium Theatre
Bring the kids or grandkids to this musical adaptation of the recent classic 2003 Christmas film “Elf,” which starred Will Ferrell. This production at the Auditorium Theatre opened on Wednesday and runs through Dec. 14. You can buy tickets here.
Film: “Bring Them Home” Premiere — Gene Siskel Film Center
Narrated by Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), “Bring Them Home” is an acclaimed documentary making its Chicago premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center. It follows the decades-long effort by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring wild buffalo back to their reservation. It debuts Friday and runs through Thursday, Dec. 11. Buy tickets here.
Comedy: Jerrod Carmichael — The Den Theatre
You might recognize this brutally honest comedian through his HBO series “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” his NBC sitcom “The Carmichael Show” or his acting work on “On the Count of Three.” From Saturday through Thursday, he’ll be performing at Wicker Park’s The Den Theatre. General admission ($28) and VIP tables ($38) are available here. |
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Where's your favorite place in Chicago for holiday shopping? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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