Ally Marotti

The proposed site of a cannabis dispensary, 12-14 W. Maple St., is seen July 13, 2020, near Mariano Park in Chicago's Near North neighborhood, close to the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast residents push back against proposed marijuana dispensary. ‘The sheer number of people will be too much.’

August 12, 2020 at 7:27 p.m.

A group of Gold Coast residents remains opposed to a proposed marijuana dispensary near the neighborhood, even though the shop says it will hire security guards and won't allow long...

An employee at Sunnyside dispensary in Lakeview counts out cash received for a sale on Dec. 30, 2019.

Illinois is one step closer to awarding 75 marijuana dispensary licenses after 3-month delay

August 12, 2020 at 7:32 p.m.

The state has cleared one of the last hurdles keeping 75 marijuana dispensary licenses from being awarded. The dispensary licenses were set to be awarded May 1, but the pandemic...

Passersby look over damage at the Jonathan Adler store on Aug.10, 2020.

Downtown businesses on edge after looting, vandalism. ‘I feel like we are under attack.’

August 11, 2020 at 4:03 p.m.

Downtown business owners still struggling during the coronavirus pandemic were scrambling to board up broken windows and take stock of damage after a wave of vandalism and looting early Monday...

Former Outcome Health president Shradha Agarwal, left, and former CEO Rishi Shah.

Jury trial date set for case alleging former Outcome Health executives ran $1 billion fraud scheme

August 7, 2020 at 9:18 p.m.

A date has been set for a jury trial in a criminal case alleging former Outcome Health executives ran a $1 billion fraud scheme at the Chicago-based company. The trial...

People check out at the newly opened Sunnyside in Schaumburg on Aug. 6, 2020. It is the biggest dispensary in the state.

Marijuana is no longer a ‘dirty little secret.’ Weed sales are soaring in Illinois, and the pandemic is helping.

August 10, 2020 at 3:39 p.m.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, 33-year-old Katie Johnston-Smith was feeling "a good, healthy amount of panic." She tried wine but it didn't help. She took a marijuana-infused edible,...

Map: Where to buy legal weed in Chicago and across Illinois

August 21, 2020 at 6:21 p.m.

Throughout the state, 57 marijuana stores are selling recreational weed. That's up from the 37 that opened their doors to recreational customers on Jan. 1, when sales began in Illinois....

Mission Dispensary employees Jerome Irish, center, and Tenishia Greer count money for the purchase of legal cannabis on Jan. 1, 2020. The dispensary is a member of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois.

Marijuana industry group to Pritzker: Help weed entrepreneurs stuck in limbo

August 6, 2020 at 8:27 p.m.

An association representing Illinois marijuana companies is urging the state to use weed tax revenue to aid social equity applicants who've been hurt by delays in the licensing process. The...

Workers tend to plants in growing room at Cresco Labs in Joliet on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019.
Cresco Labs is one of the largest cannabis companies in the state and recently expanded its marijuana growing facilities.
(Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

Recreational marijuana sales reached almost $61 million in July, setting a record for the third month in a row

August 3, 2020 at 8:04 p.m.

Illinois marijuana shops sold almost $61 million in recreational weed in July, beating the previous record set in June by $13.4 million. In all, dispensaries have sold about $300.1 million...

In-flight internet company Gogo lays off 14% of employees, citing continued damage to airline industry

August 3, 2020 at 8:05 p.m.

In-flight internet company Gogo is laying off 143 workers, or about 14% of its staff, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to damage the airline industry. The eliminated positions are primarily...

Don Flesch, whose grandfather started the iconic Central Camera in 1899, photographs the damage May 31, 2020, the morning after the store burned when protests led to widespread destruction in the Loop.

Central Camera, the iconic Loop shop that burned during May unrest, plots its return

July 29, 2020 at 3:38 p.m.

Two months after the Loop's iconic Central Camera was looted and burned, the owner of the 121-year-old business is readying his return to retail. Owner Don Flesch, whose grandfather started...

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