The Sycamore Planning Commission voted unanimously Monday, in favor of an application by The Dispensary, LLC out of Davenport Iowa for a medical marijuana dispensary. they want to build a new site at 1985 Gateway Drive in Sycamore. The petitioner plans to construct a roughly 2,000 square foot building to house the medical cannabis dispensary if approved at both the local and state level. The company already has a permit for a dispensary site in Fulton, Il.
The planning commission voted 10 to 2 against another application submitted by Healthway Services of Illinois to operate a dispensary at 2814 DeKalb Ave. in the former Lions Club building, citing security concerns by area residents as well as city officials.
The issue now goes to Sycamore’s City Council to decide if either applicant will receive a special use permit. The ultimate decision for the license will come from the state, however, as the Sycamore location would be going against others who want a license to operate in this area of the state.
The State of Illinois has one permit available for the district that encompasses DeKalb County and will ultimately decide between applicants that meet local zoning regulations. Therefore, the granting of a special use permit does not guarantee that a medical cannabis dispensary will be operated at the requested location as the State may choose to award the location to a petitioner in another community within the district.
In 2013, Illinois became the 20th state to legalize medicinal marijuana. The law includes a four-year pilot program where people suffering from one of more than 30 serious illnesses could get a prescription for marijuana. State-wide cultivation centers will be constructed to grow cannabis for medical purposes, with only one allowed for each state police district. The cultivated marijuana will be available by prescription to patients with debilitating medical conditions at dispensaries.
The State has been actively taking action recently on Medical Cannabis Dispensary and Cultivation Center applicants.
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