Committee on Workforce Development
CITY OF CHICAGO
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN RELATIONS CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL - ROOM 300 121 NORTH LASALLE STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602
ALDERMAN RODERICK T. SAWYER CHAIRMAN
PHONE: 312-744-1367 FACSIMILE: 312-744-2870
City Council Meeting January 15,2020
To Madam President and Members ofthe City Council:
The Committee on Health and Human Relations held a meeting on January 10, 2020 considering the following Items:
02019-9156
Amendment of Municipal Code Section 2-152-090 by adding Juneteenth as official City holiday and closure of municipal office in observance thereof. Re-Refer to Workforce Development Committee
R2019-850
Call for hearing(s) on women's role in cannabis industry. Re-Refer to Workforce Development Committee
begs leave to recommend that this Honorable Body pass said it will be Re-Refer to the Committee of Workforce Development in which is transmitted herewith.
This recommendation was concurred in by a viva voce vote of the Committee on Health and Human Relations.
RespectMfesubmitted,
Roderick T. Sawyer, Chairman Committee on Health and Human Relations
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois approved the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705/) (the "Adult Use Cannabis Act"); and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago ("City") is a home rule municipality as described in Section 6(a) of Article VII ofthe 1970 Constitution ofthe State of Illinois; and pursuant to its home rule power, the City may exercise any power and perform any function relating to its government and affairs, including the power to regulate forthe protection ofthe public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago City Council ("City Council") approved the Amendment of Municipal Code Title 17 regarding cannabis-related activities; and
WHEREAS, members of the City Council introduced an ordinance proposing an Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 7-23 by adding new Chapter 7-23 to prohibit certain Recreational Adult-Use Cannabis business establishments until June 2020, thereby giving the City Council additional time to evaluate the best course of action for the City's governance of businesses that may be established and activities that may be allowed as a result ofthe Adult Use Cannabis Act; and
WHEREAS, Recreational Adult Use Cannabis Dispensaries may begin sales of recreational adult use cannabis on January 1, 2020, but all new operations must secure approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and whereas the Zoning Board of Appeals may be authorized to consider ownership and employment information as part of applications for special uses and variation for additional Recreational Adult Use Dispensaries; and
WHEREAS, the Adult Use Cannabis Act includes provisions designed to stimulate opportunities for ownership and employment by persons who live within Disproportionately Impacted Areas or who otherwise qualify as Social Equity Applicants as defined in the Adult Use Cannabis Act; and the City Council desires to take actions that will support opportunities for such persons; and
WHEREAS, many persons who live within Disproportionately Impacted Areas or who otherwise qualify as Social Equity Applicants are likely to be persons of color, and whereas women of color have suffered particularly adverse consequences as a result ofthe war on drugs; and
WHEREAS, women face gender-specific obstacles that reduce opportunities for women to become entrepreneurs and corporate leaders and that create complications that may adversely affect women's opportunities for employment; and
WHEREAS, women, and particularly women of color, face greater difficulties accessing traditional banking systems and capital for establishing businesses or paying for industry-specific job-training and advanced education; and
WHEREAS, the number of women working in the cannabis industry at management levels and entry levels has declined since 2015; and the City Council has a unique opportunity to ensure that women are well-represented in Chicago's emerging cannabis industry; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has established goals of developing a workforce that is prepared to undertake jobs in emerging industries, of increasing opportunities for employment within the City, and to stimulate economic growth in underserved neighborhoods, and the Adult Use Cannabis Act creates a unique opportunity for the City Council to advance these goals and to advance economic opportunities for persons who qualify as; and
WHEREAS, a guiding purpose ofthe cannabis legalization effort has been to ensure participation from all persons and City Council members desire to see women working in cannabis; and
BE IT RESOLVED, the Members ofthe City Council hereby:
NAME
Alderman,:
Invite testimony from persons involved in the cannabis industry (both existing businesses
operating in the City and businesses that desire to open new operations within the City),
representing associations and organizations who provide advocacy related to the
cannabis industry, women who seek access to participate in the Adult Use Cannabis
industry, associations and organizations that advocate for women entrepreneurs and for
women's employment; and
Request information concerning barriers for entry for women, particularly women of color and women living in Disproportionally Impacted Areas, for participating in Chicago's emerging cannabis industry and suggestions on how to remedy these barriers, including how women, particularly women of color and women living in Disproportionally Impacted Areas, can secure access to capital as well as entry level and management positions working for cannabis companies; and
Secure information on health effects of recreational adult use cannabis on women's bodies and secure information on women-focused medical research on uses of medical cannabis for women's health; and
Request that the committee that will conduct the hearing will develop a report of findings
and recommendations of actions that the City Council could undertake to assist women,
particularly women of color and women living in Disproportionally Impacted Areas^for
participating in Chicago's emerging cannabis industry. yy/
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