LAKEVIEW — Illinois’ first LGBTQ+- and POC-owned weed dispensary opens Friday in Northalsted.
Sway fills the former Town Hall Pub storefront at 3340 N. Halsted St. It’s co-owned by cannabis policy advocate Edie Moore; entrepreneur Kevin Hauswirth; and Art Johnston and Jose Pepe Peña, husbands and LGBTQ+ activists who co-own Sidetrack across the street.
The Northalsted shop is the first of at least three Sway dispensaries the group has planned, Johnston said.
“When you talk about things having sway, it means they have some influence,” Johnston told Block Club. “Not long ago, no one would be caught dead near a gay-owned business. Now we have a lot of sway in Illinois.”
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The name is also meant to evoke feelings of dance and movement, Johnston said.
Inside, the dispensary is decorated with bright lights and vibrant colors that mirror the LGBTQ+ Pride flag.
A collage of LGBTQ+ rights activists and cannabis equity pioneers known as the “Wall of Heroes” is the lobby’s centerpiece. It features local figures like Danny Sotomayor, who emerged as one of Chicago’s fiercest advocates during
