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Town hall on hemp ban ordinance
Chicago's hemp industry is trying to stop the city from banning their products. The City Council already passed a ban. Businesses are appealing to a higher authority. Joanie Lum is live in the South Loop.
CHICAGO - Chicago’s upcoming ban on intoxicating hemp products has business owners rallying for a mayoral veto, warning it will shut down small businesses, cost jobs and disproportionately impact minority-owned establishments.
What we know:
The hemp industry rallied to save their businesses from a looming ban on their product. They are now appealing to a higher authority.
The ban on intoxicating hemp products goes into effect in Chicago April 1. It will mean the end of small businesses, like Chi'Tiva Lounge in the South Loop.
The Hemp Coalition came together on Thursday to push for one last lifeline with a rally.
You have to be 21 to enter Chi’Tiva where they serve infused drinks and edibles and host bingo nights. The establishment boasts a high standard of product safety and self-regulation.
But there is anxiety in the lounge, rather than the relaxation they promote.
Under the city’s new ban on hemp, the products could be seized, and the owner would face thousands of dollars in fines.
Business owners say they welcome safety standards and regulations, but banning the hemp business is extreme, costs jobs, tax money and destroys the sense of community they’ve built around their lounges.
They are asking Mayor Brandon Johnson to veto the ordinance.
Chi’Tiva owner Charles Wu called the situation a nail-biter.
"Our entire business would shut down," Wu said. "Employees would be laid off. And then there are the leases. I just can’t walk away from leases."
25th ward alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez supports a mayoral veto.
"Time after time, minority business owners get left behind, they are not allowed a fair shot," Sigcho Lopez said.
Hemp users say places like Chi’Tiva are an alternative to the bar scene. The business owners say the alcohol and cannabis industries are putting hemp out.
The Source: This story contains reporting from Fox Chicago's Joanie Lum.