>> TO OPEN A Wii DISPENSARY, ONE MUST PAY FOR A LICENSE, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FEES AND RIGOROUS REGULATION.

NOT SO FOR SOME ALTERNATIVE CANADA SHOPS THAT ARE OPENING UP ACROSS THE CITY, AND SORT OF OPERATING OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW.

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE SELLING A PRODUCT DERIVED FROM HEMP CALLED DELTA-T, WHICH HAS ALL THE SAME PROPERTIES AS THC MARIJUANA, TO BE PURCHASED IN CONVENIENCE STORES AND THERE ARE NO WAGE MINIMUMS FOR PURCHASE, UNLIKE TOBACCO OR ALCOHOL.

THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH IN THE WAY OF REGULATION ON IT YET SO IT'S LIT UP A DEBATE ABOUT WHO CAN AND CAN'T SELL THESE PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN ILLINOIS.

HERE WITH MORE OUR SECOND WARD ALDERMAN BRIAN HOPKINS, SPONSOR OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD RESTRICT SALES OF DELTA-T TO LICENSED MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES, DEMOCRATIC LASHAWN FORD FROM THE EIGHTH DISTRICT INCLUDING THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO AND SOUTHWEST SUBURBS, CHARLES, OWNER OF THE WICKER PARK CAFE WHICH SELLS ITEMS FEATURING DELTA-T, AND KAREEM KENYATTA, CO-OWNER OF STAR BUDS MARIJUANA DISPENSARY IN RIVERSIDE AND BURBANK.

FASCINATING DEBATE.

CHARLES WU, YOU HAVE THIS BUCKTOWN SHOP.

YOU SELL DELTA-T INFUSED ROCKS LIKE SWEETS.

WHAT IS DELTA-T?

>> DELTA-T NOW STANDS FOR A VARIETY OF MINOR CANNABINOIDS THAT COME FROM THE PLANT AND IT IS VARIOUS FORMS OF THC .

YOU CAN IMAGINE NORMAL THC VODKA, AND WE HAVE WINE, WE HAVE SULSER, WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

>> IT'S COMING FROM HEMP AND OTHER THC CANNABIS IS COMING FROM MARIJUANA, BUT THE SAME PROPERTIES HERE.

ALDERMAN HOPKINS, DELTA-T GETS ONE HIGH LIKE LEGAL WEED WOULD SO WHY NO REGULATIONS FOR THESE PRODUCTS YET?

>> BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN .3% OF THE ACTIVE PSYCHO PRODUCT IN WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE SELLING, IT SHOULDN'T GET YOU HIGH.

IT'S A MICRO DOSE AND IT SHOULDN'T GET YOU HIGH.

THE PROBLEM IS A LOT OF THESE UNREGULATED PRODUCTS HAVE FOUND WAYS TO ENHANCE THE TOXIC EFFECT OF THEIR PRODUCT AND PEOPLE ARE BUYING THESE THINGS, NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT THE ADDITIVES MIGHT BE.

>> THIS IS WHAT'S NOT REGULATED YET, THAT KAREEM KENYATTA IS SELLING, WHO HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS TO OPEN A LEGAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF THESE DELTA-T SHOPS?

>> SINCE CANNABIS HAS CHANGED EFFECTIVE IN 2020, AS AN OPERATOR WE'VE HAD TO OVERCOME OBSTACLE AFTER OBSTACLE AND PAY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BEFORE WE WERE EVEN ABLE TO OPEN OUR DOOR, TO MAKE OUR FIRST SALE.

SO AS WE SIT HERE TODAY AND WE TALK ABOUT THESE DELTA-T SHOPS WHO CAN OPEN BASICALLY BY JUST PAYING A FEE TO THE CITY, AND DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANY OF THE REGULATIONS, DON'T HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ZONING OR INSTALL SECURITY SYSTEMS THE SAME WAY WE DO, IT REALLY SETS UP A DISADVANTAGE FOR THE SAME OPERATORS, THAT WHEN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS PAST OF THIS, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE.

THESE ARE OPERATORS THAT CAME FROM DISPROPORTIONATE LY IMPACTED AREAS, AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS, AND NOT TO MENTION A THIRD OF OUR TAXES GO BACK INTO THESE COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS.

>> YOU'RE TRYING TO KIND OF SET UP A FRAMEWORK WHERE THESE DELTA-T SHOPS CAN COEXIST WITH LEGAL WEED, SO WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> WE CAN'T HAVE POOR VISION.

WE KNOW POOR VISION JUST DOESN'T WORK AND I THINK THAT KAREEM WOULD WANT TO ACTUALLY BAN IT, AND WE DON'T WANT TO BAN IT.

WE WANT TO REGULATE IT SO THAT IT'S SAFE, SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TAX IT AND REGULATE ITS.

THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.

THIS IS A FREE ENTERPRISE.

GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO SET UP REGULATIONS FOR THE BUSINESSES TO THRIVE, LIKE CHARLES.

>> IS THIS PRODUCT SAFE?

MENTIONING THAT THERE ARE ADDITIVES AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SO THEY'RE GOING TO YOUR STORE, ARE THEY GETTING A PRODUCT THEY KNOW IS SAFE, EVEN THOUGH THERE REALLY ISN'T STATEWIDE REGULATION ON THAT?

>> IN OUR CASE WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FROM 2021 TO PUT IN ROBUST REGULATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE MINIMUM AGE, TESTING, AND LABELING TO PREVENT MINORS FROM BEING -- FROM BUYING THE PRODUCTS.

IN OUR CASE WE RUN THROUGH A VERY RIGOROUS TESTING PROCESS.

OUR TESTING STANDARDS ARE SIMILAR, PERHAPS MORE STRINGENT THAN WHAT CANNABIS HAS DONE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE BIG OPPONENTS AND SUPPORTERS OF REP FORD'S BILL IS IT LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD SO THAT PEOPLE LIKE KAREEM CANNOT COMPLAIN THAT WE HAVE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OVER THEM IN THE MARKET.

>> TRYING TO INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE AT THE CITY LEVEL, WHAT WOULD YOUR REGULATIONS DO?

>> MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO OUTRIGHT BAN THESE PRODUCTS BUT INSTEAD WHAT I'M DOING IS SUGGESTING THAT THESE PRODUCTS CAN ONLY BE SOLD IN A LICENSED DISPENSARY.

IF YOU'RE A LICENSED DISPENSARY IT MEANS YOU WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

IT MEANS YOU APPLIED WITH 650 PAGES OF STATE REGULATIONS.

YOUR PRODUCT IS INSPECTED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, FROM THE SEED, TO THE PLANT, TO DISTRIBUTION.

WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S IN IT AND IT'S HEAVILY TAXED, AS MOST REGULATED BUSINESSES ARE, AND YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE RULES FOR REMOVING THESE DELTA-T PRODUCTS, UNDER MY ORDINANCE, INTO THAT REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, AND I BELIEVE IT WILL BE A DE FACTO BAN BECAUSE MOST OF THE LICENSED DISPENSARIES WHO WENT THROUGH ALL OF THIS TROUBLE TO GET THEIR PERMITS AND THEIR LICENSE WON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE DELTA 8 PRODUCTS.

>> YOU BROUGHT SOME SAMPLES BECAUSE YOU ARE UPSET ABOUT THE MARKETING HERE OF THESE PACKS.

CHEETOS, SKITTLES, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING KIDS WOULD WANT TO BUY AND MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE EATING INTO.

>> IT ABSOLUTELY DOES AND THIS IS HOW THE ISSUE FIRST CAME TO MIND.

I HAVE NEW -- TWO EMERGENCY ROOMS IN MY WARD AND I'M HEARING FROM DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO ARE SEEING A DISTURBING INCREASE IN CHILDREN WHO ARE REPORTING TO THEIR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS WITH CANNABIS TOXICITY.

THEY'VE CONSUMED TOO MUCH OF THIS PRODUCT, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU'RE A CHILD, YOU'RE A 12-YEAR-OLD, YOU THINK THIS IS CANDY.

YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME, AND BECAUSE IT'S AN EDITABLE PRODUCT, THE DELAY AFTER YOU TAKE ONE OR TWO, YOU DON'T FEEL ANY INTOXICANT IN EFFECT UNTIL A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER AND YOU MIGHT BE TAKING MORE, AND YOU WIND UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM.

>> I THINK YOU SAID BEFORE WE WENT ON THAT YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE REGULATED AND OUTLAWED, TOO.

KAREEM KENYATTA, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE LEGAL CANNABIS STORES, WHAT WOULD YOU TOLERATE IN TERMS OF DELTA 8 BEING ALLOWED TO BE SOLD?

>> I THINK WE'VE ALREADY CREATED THE CANNABIS REGULATION AND TAX ACT IN ORDER TO SELL PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN THC, AND TO ME, WE DON'T NEED TO CREATE A SECONDARY MARKET.

THE POINT OF CREATING THE CANNABIS REGULATION AND TAX ACT WAS TO CAPTURE THESE PRODUCTS, TO SAY THAT WE NOW NEED TO CREATE A SECONDARY MARKET AND GO AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BUILT INTO SOCIAL EQUITY AND ALL THIS DIVERSITY THAT'S BEEN CREATED, WE NOW HAVE BLACK AND BROWN OPERATORS THAT HAVE JUST BECOME OPERATIONAL.

AND AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS OUR BIGGEST THREAT BECAUSE IT TAKES US ALMOST $1 MILLION JUST TO OPERATE AND OWN ONE STORE.

THESE OPERATORS CAN OPEN UP A TOBACCO SHOP RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MINE FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE, AND I DON'T THINK ANY AMOUNT OF REGULATION WILL CHANGE THAT, AT THIS POINT.

>> YOU GUYS ARE OPENING A DELTA-T SHOP IN BURBANK, RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE TOWN NEXT TO OUR SHOP IN BRIDGEVIEW.

>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS, WOULD YOU FIND IT FAIR IF YOU AND OTHER DELTA 8 OPERATORS HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS, GO THROUGH A LOTTERY, PAY THE KIND OF LICENSE FEES, IS THAT A FAIR SOLUTION?

>> THE REGULATION THAT WE SUPPORT, THAT REP FORD HAS PUT TOGETHER, PUTS TOGETHER A VERY STRINGENT REQUIREMENT FROM A TESTING, FROM A LABELING, AND FROM A COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVE.

THAT PUTS THEM ON PAR.

>> ANY OPERATOR -- >> WE DON'T SUPPORT THAT.

>> KAREEM, WE HAVE COME SO FAR IN AMERICA AND ILLINOIS, WHEN WE LIFTED THE BAN ON CANNABIS.

WE WANT TO GO BACK AND TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME AND START CRIMINALIZING, CREATING AN UNDERGROUND MARKET FOR DELTA.

JUST BECAUSE YOU BAN IT DOESN'T MEAN IT GOES AWAY.

WE NEED TO REGULATE IT AND TAX IT AND MAKE SURE -- >> ARE YOU SAYING IT'S NOT GOING TO HURT HIS INDUSTRY?

HE'S SAYING THEY HAD TO JUMP THROUGH SO MANY HOOPS TO GET STARTED.

>> FREE ENTERPRISE.

YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING TO AMERICA NOW, CROSSING AND WALKING MONTHS BECAUSE AMERICA IS A GREAT COUNTRY WHERE YOU CAN SET UP SHOP.

>> THEY AT LEAST HAD TO GO THROUGH THE SAME KIND OF APPARATUS.

>> IT HAPPENED IN OTHER STATES.

YOU LOOK AT FLORIDA.

FLORIDA IS LIKE ILLINOIS.

YOU'VE GOT 20 WHITE GUYS THAT ON THE FLORIDA MARKET.

IT'S A $2 MILLION MARKET.

YOU'VE GOT DELTA HAD MARKET THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

THERE ARE 10,000 BUSINESSES IN THERE AND THEY PROVIDED $4 BILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT.

MANY OF THOSE 10,000 BUSINESSES ARE MINORITY BUSINESSES, ARE SMALL BUSINESSES WHO STARTED, AND GUESS WHAT, THE 20 RICH GUYS THAT OWN THE CANNABIS MARKET, THEY ARE STILL GROWING.

THE GUYS IN CHARGE THAT RUN THIS BUSINESS, HE CAN STILL MAKE HIS MONEY.

CLEARLY HE DIDN'T DEBATE ALDERMAN HOPKINS WHERE THIS IS GOING TO GO IN THE CITY COUNCIL, WHERE THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR SUPPORT?

>> I TALKED TO THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE.

SHE'S GOING TO HOLD A HEARING ON IT.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THIS AND THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES TO SORT OUT.

AT THE MEANTIME, SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESENT AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WITH CANNABIS TOXICITY AND RELATED ADVERSE FAX FROM TAKING THESE SUBSTANCES.

I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED FOR SOMEBODY DIES, WHICH ACTUALLY THERE WERE TWO CHILDREN WHO RECENTLY DIED IN PENNSYLVANIA FROM INGESTING THESE COMINGS AND IT IS PROBABLY JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT HAPPENS HERE.

WE HAD SOME SERIOUS MEDICAL REACTIONS TO THIS.

WE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS NOW.

>> IF A KID HAS CANNABIS FROM THE SHOP THEY WILL HAVE THE SAME REACTION.

YOU CANNOT LET KIDS GRAB CANNABIS COUNTIES.

THEY WILL BE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, AS WELL.

IT'S A FACT THAT WE MUST REGULATE DELTA 8.

>> SINCE 21 THERE HAVE BEEN LAWS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS TO REGULATE THIS STUFF.

HIS BUSINESS PARTNER, WHO REPRESENTS THE CANNABIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, KILLED THE BILL IN '21, KILLED THE BILL IN 2022, KILLED THE BILL IN 2023.

THEIRS LEGISLATIVE MANEUVERINGS GOING ON.

>> IF WE SELL THOSE PRODUCTS IN