Illinois has welcomed its first licensed predominantly Black-owned cannabis business thanks to the helping hand of a disrupter in the space. Star Buds, a weed company based in Colorado, partnered with SB IL Grow LLC to help them get their feet wet in Illinois.

An Illinois based car-dealership has found itself on the paying end of a $10 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state attorney’s office. The settlement comes after numerous claims that the car dealer was charging illegal fees and adding additional finance charges to its Black customers. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, Ed Napleton Automotive, headquartered in Oakbrook, IL was among nine other dealerships in Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Missouri with complaints filed for similar discriminatory practices. According to the local news outlet, the joint settlement was filed in Chicago federal court alleging the dealerships across multiple states charged up to thousands in additional products like paint without any prior consent. The complaint against the dealership also alleges that Black customers were charged an estimated $190 more in interest and paid about $99 more for similar add-ons than white customers, the FTC released in a statement....