Chicago city council members opposed a black caucus-led bill to delay the release of legal recreational pot sales due to a lack of minority-owned dispensaries. The Chicago City Council voted 29-19 against the resolution, which had reached the Contracting Equity and Compliance Committee by a majority of 10-9 on Tuesday this week.

Licensed cannabis dispensaries within the city limits of Chicago are now back on track as originally planned to start retail sales at the beginning of 2020.

“We are moving forward, making sure that the city is prepared for the legalization of cannabis on January 1,” mayor Lori Lightfoot claimed following the vote. “And we will be prepared.”

Nevertheless, Chicago aldermen nearly postponed the launch of retail sales inside city limits due to concerns stemming from the lack of involvement by minorities in the business. Earlier, the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus stated that none of the businesses allowed to distribute recreational marijuana next month are operated by minorities or women and requested that retail sales in the city be delayed until July 1, 2020.

“This six-month delay is critical for us to level the social equity field in an industry that will profoundly impact black and brown communities, given many of the proposed sites for dispensaries are in our neighborhoods,” said the Black Caucus. They were refused their request.