The Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition was founded in early 2019, as support for adult-use cannabis in Illinois grew. After a series of town hall meetings on the South Side of Chicago that discussed cannabis legalization in Illinois, community members recognized the need to take action to ensure community needs were met during legalization. In early April 2019, a group of people met for the first time at the Port Ministries in Back of the Yards, and the Coalition was born. Through grassroots organizing, issue advocacy, and lobbying, the Cannabis Equity IL Coalition works to elevate community voices by building power locally, to create change related to legalized cannabis in Illinois. We are a grassroots non-profit formed by community members fighting to make sure the legalization of cannabis in Illinois is done to repair and reinvest in the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs, and to ensure the cannabis industry prioritizes people over profits!