A new dispensary proposal is stirring conversation on Chicago’s Far North Side. Releaf, a cannabis retail project backed in part by a group of retired Chicago police officers, is aiming to open at 2415 W. Peterson Ave. in the West Ridge neighborhood. If approved, it would be the first dispensary in the area, and the first brick-and-mortar store for Kaneh Group, the company behind the proposal.
But it’s not the location that’s raising eyebrows, it’s who’s behind the business.
Kaneh Group includes at least 10 retired officers from the Chicago Police Department, according to representatives at a recent virtual community meeting hosted by 40th Ward Alderman Andre Vasquez. The group claims their law enforcement background gives them “insider knowledge” to design state-of-the-art security measures for the store. Former CPD Deputy Superintendent John Richardson, whose son Damone Richardson is also involved with the project, emphasized that security would be a top priority.
Kaneh Group secured their license under Illinois’ social equity cannabis program, which was created to give ownership opportunities to people from communities disproportionately targeted by cannabis criminalization. According to the team, 85% of their staff is Black, and 5% of the business will be community-owned through a trust that allows neighborhood residents to benefit from future profits. They also pledged to hire locally and offer a communal space inside the dispensary for local organizations to use.
But many in the cannabis community, and the broader public, are questioning the intent and ethics of allowing former law enforcement to participate in a program meant to repair the damage caused by the war on drugs. After all, these are individuals who once arrested people for the very plant they now plan to profit from.
While the Kaneh Group says they have “empathy” for those harmed by prohibition, Couch Lock’d stands firmly opposed to law enforcement officers receiving social equity licenses. Equity in cannabis must prioritize those directly impacted by criminalization, not those who helped uphold it.
Residents of the 40th Ward can still submit their feedback on the proposed dispensary until August 5 through surveys provided by the alderman’s office. Make your voice heard.
How do you feel about this proposal? Should retired police officers be eligible for social equity cannabis licenses? Drop your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to like and share this post to keep the conversation going.
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