Chicagos dispensaries team up in newly found labour union
The cannabis dispensaries of Illinois have formed their own union.
The budtenders at Modern Cannabis’s River North location in Chicago, Illinois announced last week that they had voted by an "overwhelming majority" to join Teamsters Local 777, which they said was "the first group of cannabis - Makes workers who do this ". Modern Cannabis has two locations in Chicago - one in River North that only sells recreational marijuana products and another in Logan Square that sells both recreational and medicinal marijuana. Jason Blumstein and Sydney Charles, two budtenders at the River North store in Chicago, said in a press release that they hope their efforts to join the Teamsters could have an impact on all other workers in the industry. "We are proud to join Local 777, a union with a long history of defending and advocating workers' rights," said Blumstein and Charles in their statement. "We are excited about the future and the quality of life we can create for all cannabis workers." Jim Glimco, president of Teamsters Local 777, said in a dedicated statement that his organization will be a viable option for those working in an ever-expanding industry. "Congratulations to our newest members," said Glimco. "As more states legalize recreational cannabis and the industry exponentially expands, workers are realizing that the Teamsters are the best union to ensure that the people who make these businesses successful are not excluded from the prosperity that comes with it Growth is connected. " In their press release last week, Teamsters noted that the Illinois recreational marijuana business has emerged as "one of the fastest growing industries in the state." You are not kidding. Last year marked the opening year for the state's recreational marijuana market after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that approved the reform in 2019. Earlier this year, the Illinois Department of Revenue reported that the state generated $ 582,226,511.45 in revenue from recreational marijuana sales from January to November 2020. The signs were promising from the start, with the first day of marijuana sales grossing in over $ 3 million. Several pharmacies across Illinois reported running out of product during the first few days of sales due to extreme demand. While many retail outlets are already operating in Chicago and other cities in the state of Illinois, this is just the beginning. The intense demand for cannabis in the state prompted Illinois lawmakers to pass a law late last month that will significantly expand the number of cannabis licenses issued by the state. Under the legislation, more than 100 new dispensaries will open in Illinois. The legislation also aimed to make the Illinois cannabis market fairer. "As a state that values our laws to reflect our diverse communities, we must ensure that social justice is at the center of everything we do - and today that means building on our work by Pass the nation's most equity-centered cannabis law, "Pritzker said after the law was passed. This is in line with the legalization efforts advocated by Pritzker and implemented in the state. In addition to legalizing recreational marijuana and paving the way for a lucrative new industry, Illinois new law has focused heavily on reversing the damage caused by prohibition. Under the law, thousands of previous minor marijuana offenders have been removed from their files. By the end of 2020, the state had erased nearly 500,000 previous low-level convictions. Pritzker noted at the time that these clouded records were a "disproportionately large burden for colored communities". "We will never be able to completely repair the depth of this damage. But we can rule with the courage to admit the mistakes of our past - and with the decency to find a better path to the future. I applaud the Prisoner Review Board." , Illinois State Police, and our partners across the state for their extraordinary efforts in making these pardons and redemptions a reality, "said Pritzker.