On Friday, Mayor Brandon Johnson exercised his veto power for the second time on the proposed hemp ban ordinance, which business advocates described as a harmful and destructive ban reminiscent of the 1920s alcohol prohibition era.
“I made the decision to veto this ordinance because I continue to have significant concerns around the current proposal and the potential negative impacts this prohibition-style ban could have on our city,” Johnson said in a press statement. “As we await additional guidance and rules from the federal government, this ban is premature and requires further collaboration with our small business community.”
The TRiiBE’s Corli Jay previously reported that business owners in the city’s hemp market were concerned about the ordinance pushing out Black people who have found success in the hemp market. In his statement, Johnson referred to Black and brown-owned businesses that would be negatively impacted by the hemp ban.
“Many are operated by entrepreneurs who were shut out of the expensive cannabis licensing process and turned to federally legal hemp as a pathway into the marketplace,” Johnson said, referring to Black and brown owners. “We cannot claim to support equitable economic development while advancing policies that concentrate the market in the hands of a few large entities.”
In January, the hemp ban ordinance passed 32-16 in the City Council. The ordinance limits the sale of most hemp products to only licensed cannabis dispensaries beginning in April. Meaning, business owners in the hemp space will be forced to stop operations if they don’t have a license to sell marijuana.
Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward) introduced the ordinance to address his concerns with hemp-derived CBD products that can be used to form delta-8 and other intoxicating compounds that give a weed-like high. The products have been called out by critics for their packaging, which some elected officials have said mimics candy and sweets sold in corner stores, gas stations and the like. Alderpeople who voted in favor of the ordinance say hemp products with such enticing packaging target children.
This is the second time Johnson has used his mayoral veto power. Last summer, Johnson vetoed the controversial snap curfew ordinance.
In his statement, Johnson also cited the failed “War on Drugs” policies: “We’ve seen first-hand that criminalization does not eliminate demand. Instead, these approaches push commerce into unregulated, black-market spaces where products are more difficult to regulate and control. Our responsibility is to pass thoughtful regulation, not to legislate entire segments of neighborhood business corridors out of existence.”
Johnson is now calling on City Council members, public health experts, community leaders and industry stakeholders to work alongside his administration to create “balanced legislation and a responsible regulatory framework.”
