Council Bans Hemp Products, Johnson Weighs Rare Veto

Chicago City Council voted Wednesday to ban most intoxicating hemp products from city shelves, but Mayor Brandon Johnson said he has “serious concerns” about the measure and may use a rare veto to block it.

The ordinance, championed by Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), would force businesses to remove hemp edibles, flower and vapes by April 1 or face thousands of dollars in fines and product seizures. But the ban includes a significant carveout for THC drinks, which can still be sold by businesses with liquor licenses.

Johnson told reporters after the vote that he’s weighing a veto, which would be only the second of his tenure and the first mayoral veto since 2006 before his rejection of a youth curfew policy last year.

“I’m going to have conversations with a number of members of the City Council,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to exclude small businesses from participating in the economy.”

The mayor’s hesitation reflects a broader tension over how Chicago should handle hemp products that exist in a legal gray area between cannabis and traditional retail goods. Johnson has previously pushed to regulate and tax hemp rather than ban it outright, putting him at odds with aldermen who want the products off shelves entirely.

Small business owners have lobbied hard against the ban, saying they turned to hemp sales after being shut out of Illinois’ tightly controlled cannabis licensing system. Unlike the state’s dispensary model, hemp products have been sold in corner stores, smoke shops and gas stations across the city.

“There’s responsible, safe actors in my community,” said Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), whose Logan Square ward includes numerous businesses selling hemp products. La Spata has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the ban.

The ordinance’s passage represents a victory for Quinn and other aldermen who have argued that intoxicating hemp products pose public safety risks and undercut the state’s regulated cannabis market. Quinn has framed the issue as protecting children from accessing products that can produce marijuana-like effects.

But the measure includes a major concession to Chicago’s hospitality industry, which successfully lobbied to exempt THC drinks from the ban. Restaurants and bars with liquor licenses will still be able to sell hemp-derived beverages, creating what critics call an unfair two-tiered system.

The exemption highlights the politics and government dynamics at play, with established hospitality businesses wielding more influence at City Hall than small retailers who have embraced hemp as a revenue source.

If Johnson follows through on a veto, the Council would need 34 votes to override him — a high bar that could give the mayor significant leverage in negotiations. The original ordinance’s vote count was not immediately available Wednesday evening.

The hemp debate has divided aldermen along lines that don’t follow traditional progressive-moderate splits. Some liberal aldermen support the ban over youth access concerns, while some business-friendly aldermen oppose it to protect small retailers.

For Johnson, the issue presents a political test of his relationship with both progressive allies who want tighter regulations and small business owners who backed his mayoral campaign. His opposition to the ban could strain ties with aldermen like Quinn, whose 13th Ward includes parts of his South Side political base.

The mayor has 10 days from the ordinance’s passage to decide whether to sign or veto the measure. If he takes no action, it becomes law automatically.

Business owners affected by the potential ban have organized lobbying efforts and packed recent committee hearings, arguing that hemp sales have helped them survive economic pressures including rising commercial rents and competition from online retailers.

The products in question include gummies, chocolates and other edibles containing delta-8 THC and similar compounds derived from hemp. While chemically similar to traditional marijuana, these products fall into regulatory gaps that have allowed widespread retail sales without the licensing requirements imposed on cannabis dispensaries.

State lawmakers have also grappled with hemp regulation, but legislative efforts have stalled amid disagreements between cannabis industry representatives and hemp retailers.

If the ban takes effect April 1, city inspectors from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection would enforce compliance through unannounced visits and complaint-driven investigations. Penalties would range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on violation severity.

The THC drink exemption would require affected businesses to obtain liquor licenses, which cost thousands of dollars annually and come with additional regulatory requirements including background checks and insurance mandates.

Johnson’s decision on the veto will likely come within the next week as he consults with aldermen and weighs the political and economic implications. His choice could set precedent for how Chicago approaches other emerging products that exist in regulatory gray areas.

The hemp ordinance represents one of the most significant business regulations to reach Johnson’s desk since taking office, testing his commitment to supporting small entrepreneurs against aldermen’s concerns about public safety and market fairness.