Social equity dispensary opens in River North

CHICAGO — The Green Rose Dispensary opened Saturday near the intersection of North Wells Street and West Ontario Street in River North.

When recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois, a part of the reason was to bring equity and right the wrongs of the war on drugs, which disproportionately harmed communities of color.

The industry, with $2 billion in sales over the last two years, is predominantly white-owned.

Illinois became the first to introduce a social equity program aimed at opening doors for minorities who want a piece of the pie, and the Green Rose became one of the first such businesses to take advantage of the program.