First all-minority, LGBTQ-owned dispensary set to open in Illinois

CHICAGO — In the heart of North Side nightlife and culture, there will be a first in the history of Illinois. With bright colors and and an array of lights, Sway will be the state’s first all-minority, LGBTQ-owned cannabis dispensary when it opens next week.

“Sway is a feeling, it’s a vibe,” said Edie Moore, co-owner of Sway. “It’s the culmination of Black and Brown communities and LGBTQ communities … coming together for cannabis.”

Moore is not only a co-owner of the soon-to-be dispensary, but also an advocate for modernizing laws involving cannabis.

“For me, it’s about access and not having access to legal cannabis,” Moore said.

Though overall sales have dropped since recreational cannabis was legalized in Illinois four years ago, new dispensaries continue to open. But out of the 155 opened so far in the state, Sway is the first Queer, BIPOC (Black Indigenous and other People Of Color) and Veteran-owned dispensary in Illinois.

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For years, Art Johnston and Jose “Pepe” Pena have worked to document gay history, and in doing so, have become a part of it.

In 2022, thousands saw the documentary on their lives at film festivals across the country, part of which has been in cannabis.

“When HIV hit San Francisco and people needed the benefit of cannabis, gay men in San Francisco would open illegal dispensaries and provide their friends who were sick with cannabis,” Johnston said.

The faces on the wall at Sway reflect that history and honor those who fought against criminalization and for the social equity license that made Sway possible with all-minority owners.

“We’re so excited about bringing Sway to this community,” Moore said. “There’s a lack of access on the South Side. There are very few dispensaries … and I’m hoping to change that with a new Sway.”

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