Latest news with #LaShawnFord
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois lawmakers again fail to act on hemp, while a new study highlights growing health concerns
A new report on hemp-derived THC highlights growing concerns over its safety, legality and impact on health — even as Illinois lawmakers have failed again to keep the products away from children. The report by the University of Illinois System Institute of Government and Public Affairs notes that the lack of regulation of hemp means there is no state oversight of ingredients, potency or marketing to kids. The report cites studies showing many hemp products had different amounts of THC than labeled, while some were well above the package limits for licensed cannabis products, and contained toxic solvents left over from processing. Some products also mimicked popular candy or snack packaging that could appeal to kids. Several incidents have occurred in the Chicago area of school-age children going to hospitals after ingesting hemp products. But as in previous years, state lawmakers failed to take any significant action on hemp in its latest session, which ended Saturday. Hemp is caught in a Catch-22 repeating cycle of inaction. The 2018 federal Farm Bill legalized hemp, defined as cannabis plants that have less than 0.3% by weight of Delta-9 THC, the primary component of the plant that gets users high. Although the Farm Bill allowed production of non-intoxicating hemp derivatives such as CBD, it also inadvertantly set off an explosion of intoxicating products now available across the nation at smoke shops and gas stations. Hemp processors found ways to use chemical solvents or other methods to produce variants such as Delta-8, Delta-10, and THCO, which can get users high like marijuana. And with little enforcement, many hemp products contain Delta-9 THC anyway. The federal law also set no age restriction for hemp products. While cannabis, which is the same plant but with high levels of Delta-9, remains federally illegal, it's legal for recreational use in Illinois and 23 other states. But getting a business license is extremely difficult and expensive, and regulations make it much more expensive to open and run a cannabis business than a hemp shop. As a result, hemp shops have proliferated, while many who hold cannabis business licenses have failed to get up and running. Cannabis industry leaders want to shut down their competition, saying unlicensed hemp undercuts those who went through arduous cannabis licensing. Hemp business owners say they want to be regulated instead. Proposed hemp legislation set guidelines that would have been similar to those on cannabis businesses: sales only to those 21 and over, and testing and labeling of products for potency and contaminants, but without the expensive licensing. The chief proponent of allowing hemp businesses to operate with further regulations in Springfield, Rep. La Shawn Ford, said lawmakers could not reach agreement over whether to ban or regulate hemp. But since the spring legislative session ended, Ford has had joint meetings with cannabis and hemp operators in an attempt to reach some compromise. With the lack of licensing and taxation for hemp, and continued problems for cannabis, the state is losing out on millions in potential tax revenue, Ford said. 'It's always been industry against industry, so now everyone has made a commitment to work together to regulate hemp and make some improvements to cannabis,' he said. At least 14 states have made intoxicating hemp products illegal, and numerous municipalities in Illinois have done so. Despite Gov. JB Pritzker calling last year for hemp restrictions, state lawmakers have been stuck between the two sides, unable to reach a consensus, and as a result have done nothing. Both cannabis and hemp businesses have made significant campaign contributions to legislators. Rachel Berry, president of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association, said the lack of legislation allows business to continue as usual, but again misses an opportunity for 'common-sense' regulation. 'It seems like there's been a lack of leadership amongst lawmakers to get this issue taken care of,' she said. 'This is something that the community has been asking for for years.' She also took issue with the hemp study's characterization of intoxicating hemp as a 'loophole' in the law. She noted that federal law explicitly allows for 'all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers' from hemp, which opened the door to Delta-8 and other intoxicating products. From the other side of the issue, the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois argues that intoxicating hemp products are flooding the market, undercutting licensed operators, evading health and safety regulations, and generating minimal state revenue because they aren't taxed at the high rate applied to licensed cannabis. 'Hemp and cannabis come from the same plant,' association Executive Director Tiffany Chappell Ingram said. 'Both products can get users high. It's time Illinois regulate intoxicating hemp in a manner similar to cannabis.' The National Poison Center reported about 5,000 cases of Delta-8, Delta-10 or THC-O acetate accidental or abusive ingestion, representing an 89% increase from 2021 to 2022. A 2022 national survey found that 10% of Illinois youths age 12 to 17 had used a hemp product in the past year. The University of Illinois hemp study concluded that producers would likely find new ways to get around a ban on intoxicating hemp products, which could merely drive customers online. Instead, requiring limits on hemp packaging amounts, and testing hemp products for potency, accuracy in labeling, and contaminants 'could best serve the public interest.' Tomasz Gliszewski, founder of Chicago Cannabis Co., which sells hemp products, has grown to three stores on the city's North Side since 2018, said lawmakers should approve a 21 and older age limit for hemp, with a 3% sales tax. Responsible hemp store operators already restrict sales to adults, he said, and sell tested products. His stores are described as 'Your neighborhood weed shop.' The company offers joints, vapes and edibles with THC or CBD, available by online ordering and same-day home delivery via DoorDash — something state-licensed cannabis companies can't do. 'It's been rough not having clarity,' Gliszewski said. 'Instead of trying to ban this stuff, they should pass common-sense legislation.' More companies are moving into the hemp business. Even Edible Brands, the parent company that makes Edible Arrangements fruit bouquets, has entered the market, with hemp-derived THC-infused products at Meanwhile, lawmakers took no major action to help struggling state-licensed cannabis businesses and their customers. A bill that would have expanded medical marijuana to all dispensaries, lowered licensing fees and allowed curbside pickup and drive-thru windows died again in Springfield this session.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois lawmakers again fail to act on hemp, while a new study highlights growing health concerns
A new report on hemp-derived THC highlights growing concerns over its safety, legality and impact on health — even as Illinois lawmakers have failed again to keep the products away from children. The report by the University of Illinois System Institute of Government and Public Affairs notes that the lack of regulation of hemp means there is no state oversight of ingredients, potency or marketing to kids. The report cites studies showing many hemp products had different amounts of THC than labeled, while some were well above the package limits for licensed cannabis products, and contained toxic solvents left over from processing. Some products also mimicked popular candy or snack packaging that could appeal to kids. Several incidents have occurred in the Chicago area of school-age children going to hospitals after ingesting hemp products. But as in previous years, state lawmakers failed to take any significant action on hemp in its latest session, which ended Saturday. Hemp is caught in a Catch-22 repeating cycle of inaction. The 2018 federal Farm Bill legalized hemp, defined as cannabis plants that have less than 0.3% by weight of Delta-9 THC, the primary component of the plant that gets users high. Although the Farm Bill allowed production of non-intoxicating hemp derivatives such as CBD, it also inadvertantly set off an explosion of intoxicating products now available across the nation at smoke shops and gas stations. Hemp processors found ways to use chemical solvents or other methods to produce variants such as Delta-8, Delta-10, and THCO, which can get users high like marijuana. And with little enforcement, many hemp products contain Delta-9 THC anyway. The federal law also set no age restriction for hemp products. While cannabis, which is the same plant but with high levels of Delta-9, remains federally illegal, it's legal for recreational use in Illinois and 23 other states. But getting a business license is extremely difficult and expensive, and regulations make it much more expensive to open and run a cannabis business than a hemp shop. As a result, hemp shops have proliferated, while many who hold cannabis business licenses have failed to get up and running. Cannabis industry leaders want to shut down their competition, saying unlicensed hemp undercuts those who went through arduous cannabis licensing. Hemp business owners say they want to be regulated instead. Proposed hemp legislation set guidelines that would have been similar to those on cannabis businesses: sales only to those 21 and over, and testing and labeling of products for potency and contaminants, but without the expensive licensing. The chief proponent of allowing hemp businesses to operate with further regulations in Springfield, Rep. La Shawn Ford, said lawmakers could not reach agreement over whether to ban or regulate hemp. But since the spring legislative session ended, Ford has had joint meetings with cannabis and hemp operators in an attempt to reach some compromise. With the lack of licensing and taxation for hemp, and continued problems for cannabis, the state is losing out on millions in potential tax revenue, Ford said. 'It's always been industry against industry, so now everyone has made a commitment to work together to regulate hemp and make some improvements to cannabis,' he said. At least 14 states have made intoxicating hemp products illegal, and numerous municipalities in Illinois have done so. Despite Gov. JB Pritzker calling last year for hemp restrictions, state lawmakers have been stuck between the two sides, unable to reach a consensus, and as a result have done nothing. Both cannabis and hemp businesses have made significant campaign contributions to legislators. Rachel Berry, president of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association, said the lack of legislation allows business to continue as usual, but again misses an opportunity for 'common-sense' regulation. 'It seems like there's been a lack of leadership amongst lawmakers to get this issue taken care of,' she said. 'This is something that the community has been asking for for years.' She also took issue with the hemp study's characterization of intoxicating hemp as a 'loophole' in the law. She noted that federal law explicitly allows for 'all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers' from hemp, which opened the door to Delta-8 and other intoxicating products. From the other side of the issue, the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois argues that intoxicating hemp products are flooding the market, undercutting licensed operators, evading health and safety regulations, and generating minimal state revenue because they aren't taxed at the high rate applied to licensed cannabis. 'Hemp and cannabis come from the same plant,' association Executive Director Tiffany Chappell Ingram said. 'Both products can get users high. It's time Illinois regulate intoxicating hemp in a manner similar to cannabis.' The National Poison Center reported about 5,000 cases of Delta-8, Delta-10 or THC-O acetate accidental or abusive ingestion, representing an 89% increase from 2021 to 2022. A 2022 national survey found that 10% of Illinois youths age 12 to 17 had used a hemp product in the past year. The University of Illinois hemp study concluded that producers would likely find new ways to get around a ban on intoxicating hemp products, which could merely drive customers online. Instead, requiring limits on hemp packaging amounts, and testing hemp products for potency, accuracy in labeling, and contaminants 'could best serve the public interest.' Tomasz Gliszewski, founder of Chicago Cannabis Co., which sells hemp products, has grown to three stores on the city's North Side since 2018, said lawmakers should approve a 21 and older age limit for hemp, with a 3% sales tax. Responsible hemp store operators already restrict sales to adults, he said, and sell tested products. His stores are described as 'Your neighborhood weed shop.' The company offers joints, vapes and edibles with THC or CBD, available by online ordering and same-day home delivery via DoorDash — something state-licensed cannabis companies can't do. 'It's been rough not having clarity,' Gliszewski said. 'Instead of trying to ban this stuff, they should pass common-sense legislation.' More companies are moving into the hemp business. Even Edible Brands, the parent company that makes Edible Arrangements fruit bouquets, has entered the market, with hemp-derived THC-infused products at Meanwhile, lawmakers took no major action to help struggling state-licensed cannabis businesses and their customers. A bill that would have expanded medical marijuana to all dispensaries, lowered licensing fees and allowed curbside pickup and drive-thru windows died again in Springfield this session.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New bill would help property owners in Illinois evict squatters
(NewsNation) — A bill in Illinois awaiting the governor's signature would give property owners more assistance when evicting squatters from their properties. Senate Bill 1563, if signed into law, would let the police remove squatters from someone's property on the spot as long as the rightful owner can prove the property is theirs. The law previously allowed squatters to stay on the property and let homeowners take up the issue in eviction court. Democratic state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the current law is bad for everyone involved. Kavanaugh signals Supreme Court will soon decide constitutionality of banning AR-15s 'It's dangerous for landlords, it's dangerous for the squatters because Illinois is a concealed carry state, and people are using their weapons to get people out of their properties,' Ford said. Ford said the new law would classify squatters as trespassers, allowing the police to arrest them and bypass the eviction process typically associated with squatters' rights. He added the people who are living in properties illegally are 'crooks who know how to game the system.' 'It's critical because we have people that have spent thousands of dollars in eviction court paying lawyers to get a trespasser out,' Ford said. 'We've had people in Illinois give $10,000 to a trespasser just to move them out of the property, only to find the damage they left behind was going to cost even more money.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois bans police from ticketing students for misbehavior
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Both houses of the Illinois legislature have passed a bill that would prevent police from ticketing students for misbehavior in school, and it now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk to be signed into law. amends the Illinois School Code to prevent school personnel from referring a truant student to law enforcement, including the School Resource Officer, or issuing a fine as punishment. It also prevents schools from issuing a monetary fine as disciplinary punishment for any violations that occur on school grounds or during school-related events. A 2022 investigation found that ticketing students in schools is common across the state, with some students fined up to $750. The law applies to all public schools, including charter schools, and goes into effect for the 2027-2028 school year. Schools will also be made to report how often they involve police in student matters each year, and keep records of race, gender, and disabilities. A 2015 law prevented Illinois schools from fining students directly, but the study found that schools were getting around the law by calling police to ticket students for violating local ordinances. Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) said the goal of the law 'is to make sure if there is a violation of school code, the school should use their discipline policies.' According to the initial study, 12,000 tickets were written to students over a three year period, and Black students were twice as likely to receive a ticket as white students. 'It leads to the school-to-prison pipeline by legislating discipline,' Ford previously. 'There's no reason for a student to be engaging with law enforcement when they break a school rule. Teachers and principals should deal with it by helping correct the behavior, by teaching lessons, not issuing citations with the law enforcement. Our goal should be to keep young people out of the criminal justice system, not introduce them or lead them.' Under the law, police can arrest students for crimes or violence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois lawmakers ban police from ticketing and fining students for minor infractions in school
Illinois legislators on Wednesday passed a law to explicitly prevent police from ticketing and fining students for minor misbehavior at school, ending a practice that harmed students across the state. The new law would apply to all public schools, including charters. It will require school districts, beginning in the 2027-28 school year, to report to the state how often they involve police in student matters each year and to separate the data by race, gender and disability. The state will be required to make the data public. The legislation comes three years after a ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation, 'The Price Kids Pay,' revealed that even though Illinois law bans school officials from fining students directly, districts skirted the law by calling on police to issue citations for violating local ordinances. 'The Price Kids Pay' found that thousands of Illinois students had been ticketed in recent years for adolescent behavior once handled by the principal's office — things such as littering, making loud noises, swearing, fighting or vaping in the bathroom. It also found that Black students were twice as likely to be ticketed at school than their white peers. From the House floor, Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Democrat from Chicago, thanked the news organizations for exposing the practice and told legislators that the goal of the bill 'is to make sure if there is a violation of school code, the school should use their discipline policies' rather than disciplining students through police-issued tickets. State Sen. Karina Villa, a Democrat from suburban West Chicago and a sponsor of the measure, said in a statement that ticketing students failed to address the reasons for misbehavior. 'This bill will once and for all prohibit monetary fines as a form of discipline for Illinois students,' she said. The legislation also would prevent police from issuing tickets to students for behavior on school transportation or during school-related events or activities. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police opposed the legislation. The group said in a statement that while school-based officers should not be responsible for disciplining students, they should have the option to issue citations for criminal conduct as one of a 'variety of resolutions.' The group said it's concerned that not having the option to issue tickets could lead to students facing arrest and criminal charges instead. The legislation passed the House 69-44. It passed in the Senate last month 37-17 and now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker, who previously has spoken out against ticketing students at school. A spokesperson said Wednesday night that he 'was supportive of this initiative' and plans to review the bill. The legislation makes clear that police can arrest students for crimes or violence they commit, but that they cannot ticket students for violating local ordinances prohibiting a range of minor infractions. That distinction was not clear in previous versions of the legislation, which led to concern that schools would not be able to involve police in serious matters — and was a key reason legislation on ticketing foundered in previous legislative sessions. Students also may still be ordered to pay for lost, stolen or damaged property. 'This bill helps create an environment where students can learn from their mistakes without being unnecessarily funneled into the justice system,' said Aimee Galvin, government affairs director with Stand for Children, one of the groups that advocated for banning municipal tickets as school-based discipline. The news investigation detailed how students were doubly penalized: when they were punished in school, with detention or a suspension, and then when they were ticketed by police for minor misbehavior. The investigation also revealed how, to resolve the tickets, children were thrown into a legal process designed for adults. Illinois law permits fines of up to $750 for municipal ordinance violations; it's difficult to fight the charges, and students and families can be sent to collections if they don't pay. After the investigation was published, some school districts stopped asking police to ticket students. But the practice has continued in many other districts. The legislation also adds regulations for districts that hire school-based police officers, known as school resource officers. Starting next year, districts with school resource officers must enter into agreements with local police to lay out the roles and responsibilities of officers on campus. The agreements will need to specify that officers are prohibited from issuing citations on school property and that they must be trained in working with students with disabilities. The agreements also must outline a process for data collection and reporting. School personnel also would be prohibited from referring truant students to police to be ticketed as punishment. Before the new legislation, there had been some piecemeal changes and efforts at reform. A state attorney general investigation into a large suburban Chicago district confirmed that school administrators were exploiting a loophole in state law when they asked police to issue tickets to students. The district denied wrongdoing, but that investigation found the district broke the law and that the practice disproportionately affected Black and Latino students. The state's top legal authority declared the practice illegal and said it should stop.
