|
 Illinoisans starting Jan. 1 can legally relax with their
favorite form of marijuana, but finding a place to buy it in downtown Chicago
may create a little reefer madness.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Sept. 17 unveiled proposed zoning rules under
which dispensaries could operate once legalization takes effect. Under the
mayor’s plan, recreational marijuana dispensaries would be nonexistent in most
of the Loop, the Magnificent Mile and the heart of the downtown business
district. There would be no legal pot sales around Navy Pier, but there might be
some down by Soldier Field.
 Lightfoot and her deputy said the idea is to keep dispensaries from clustering
in certain areas, to make sure entrepreneurs from communities impacted by the
war on drugs get a chance and to avoid the dense areas frequented by tourists.
Her proposed ordinance would establish seven “zones” within which marijuana
dispensaries could conduct business in the city. A separate zone – the
“exclusion zone” – would ban sales in downtown Chicago’s most high-traffic
areas. This zone would cover much of the central business district, spanning
from Lake Michigan to where the Chicago River bends south to Ida B. Wells Drive,
and a northern area extending from the lake and river to Oak Street and LaSalle
Avenue.
[to top of second column] |
Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward, told the Chicago
Sun-Times that the city’s fiscal woes should at least open up the
conversation about some centrally located dispensaries. “In order
for this to be a successful revenue play for the city, we need to
have some dispensaries located downtown,” Reilly said.
Chicago is currently facing a budget deficit of $838 million.
The proposed zoning rules would also prohibit dispensaries from
opening in residential districts or within 500 feet of a school.
State law will prohibit recreational marijuana use in all outdoor
public places, but cities may allow it in lounges and businesses.
Under the mayor’s plan, a maximum of seven dispensaries could
initially operate in each of the seven zones, for a total of 49.
That maximum would then double to 14 dispensaries per zone in May
2020, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law the legalization bill in May,
making Illinois the 11th state to allow the use and sale of
recreational marijuana
Click here to respond to the editor about this article
|
![](http://lincolndailynews.com/adclicks/count.php?adfile=/graue_preowned_091619.png&url=https://www.graueinc.com/VehicleDetails/used-2005-GMC-Sierra_1500-CREW_CAB_143.5"-Lincoln-IL/3505095243)
