Who We Are
ChiCann is passionate about the impact cannabis can have on the city of Chicago. We are a diverse group of people of color who are community organizers, activists, educators, researchers, and artists who bring experience in policy, work force development, non-profit management, education, and design to the cannabis industry. ChiCann is dedicated to the health, wealth, and well-being of our city for those who are here and for the generations to come.
Mission & Vision
ChiCann is on a mission to improve the health and social conditions of Chicago through education, training and employment opportunities, and sustainable community development. ChiCann is invested in community, partnering with organizations who have long-standing relationships in Chicago’s disinvested communities, supporting the roles and empowerment of our youth to our elders. We want to ensure that cannabis legalization in Illinois directly benefits disenfranchised communities including those who have been impacted by criminalization by serving as an economic accelerator for community development and revitalization. We are invested in developing community knowledge in sustainable and green growing technology, business development, and plant science. Our vision is to ensure that Chicago’s communities can access, build, and thrive in the cannabis industry.
Philosophy
ChiCann is founded on the principles of integrity, community, healing, reciprocity, sustainability, and legacy. We believe that cannabis can be a healing agent through consumption, cultivation, and building community.
Education
Education is a critical component to maximizing ChiCann’s impact as cultivators and economic accelerators. Cannabis education is about raising awareness of the history and social impact of the plant and diving into the complexity of it. Cannabis touches many aspects of life- medicine, policy, criminalization, economic opportunity, botany, agriculture, and technology. We believe the more knowledge of the plant can help us understand our relationship to it.
Development
ChiCann is currently in the stage of research and development for education materials, technological advances for efficient and sustainable organic farming, and land for the build out of our growing and dispensing facilities. Our long-term development strategy is towards sustainable communities, making the connections between housing, education, workforce development, and economic growth.