Alliance of Independent Cannabis Entrepreneurs
Protect the promise of an equitable industry.
We are cannabis license holders, employers and taxpayers who invested in launching legal businesses to benefit their communities.
Illinois legalized cannabis to right historic wrongs — by prioritizing minority entrepreneurs and reinvesting in communities harmed by the War on Drugs. But unregulated hemp products now threaten to derail that progress.
Unregulated intoxicating hemp products sidestep the legal cannabis framework — avoiding licensing, taxation, and oversight — while competing directly with licensed cannabis businesses. In short, they threaten to:
Undermine minority-owned businesses that had to navigate costly, complex licensing processes
Erode tax revenues meant for community reinvestment
Bypass safety and quality regulations, putting consumers at risk
Equity can’t compete in an unfair market.
Maria Davis
Owner, Excelleaf
“Our industry was born out of a need to bring economic opportunities to neighborhoods historically harmed by cannabis prohibition. We cannot lose sight of that purpose.”
Know the facts.
Illegal intoxicating weed undermines equity and safety.
Hurts our Economy: These products are not required to be grown in Illinois and are often untaxed, failing to generate needed tax revenue intended to support local communities.
Endangers Residents: Illegal intoxicating weed can be purchased by anyone and can be delivered without age verification.
Targets Minors: Packaging resembles childhood candies and lacks prominently displayed THC
warnings, targeting minors and young children.Poses Harmful Risks: Because they are unregulated, illegal intoxicating weed products are sold to consumers without any safety checks testing for potency or contaminants, and lacking information about the contents.
Legal cannabis protects entrepreneurs and communities.
Supports Local Business Owners: Legal cannabis in Illinois must be grown within the state, and dispensary licenses are designed to empower local, minority businesses, create jobs and support economic development.
Generates Revenue for Communities: 25% of cannabis tax revenue supports community programs, prioritizing areas with economic hardship, high levels of violence, and histories of disproportionate drug criminalization.
Tested and Safe: Legal cannabis products are tested for THC percentages, regulated for potency limits and other impurities, clearly labeled and tracked.
Protects Youth: The sale of cannabis is prohibited to individuals under 21. IDs are checked at the door of retail establishments, which are kept at a safe distance from schools.
