Chicago To Host Its First-Ever Cannabis Resource Fair

The full speaker lineup and schedule for Chicago’s first-of-its-kind Cannabis Resource Fair is now available. The fair aims to connect residents with employment and business opportunities, expungement and legal aid assistance, and more information on cannabis regulations and laws within the city.

As part of ongoing efforts to ensure Chicago’s communities and residents benefit from the recent launch of legalized cannabis, the resource fair will be held for free, on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UIC Forum, located at 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. More than 65 cannabis businesses, organizations and non-profits are attending, and of them, 35 are accepting applications and resumes from residents interested in joining the new industry.

To kick off the resource fair, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot will join a panel discussion with keynote speaker Wanda James, CEO of Simply Pure Dispensary and the nation’s first African American licensed to own a dispensary in the United States, and State Representative Kelly Cassidy, a sponsor of the house bill that legalized the sale of adult-use cannabis in Illinois.

As part of the day-long resource fair, the city will host six presentations and panel discussions to provide a wide range of information and direct access to experts from the industry. The following panels will be featured:

• Keynote Panel Discussion (10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
• Keynote: Cannabis 101 & Know Your Rights (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
• Panel 2: I Want to Start a Business in the Industry (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
• Panel 3: Expungement (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
• Panel 4: Contracting Opportunities (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
• Panel 5: I Want to Work in the Industry (1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.)
• Panel 6: Navigating City of Chicago Regulations (1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.)

Residents and businesses interested in attending the city’s upcoming Cannabis Resource Fair can register on EventBrite. This event is free to the public.