Robert Celt
New Member
Despite concern that medical marijuana is a "cash-only" business that breeds crime, a City Council committee agreed Wednesday to water down a security crackdown that required Chicago cultivation centers and dispensaries to hire around-the-clock security guards.
At the behest of Aldermen Edward Burke (14th) and Willie Cochran (20th), the Zoning Committee agreed to soften the requirement in a way that eases the financial burden on a medical marijuana industry that has been slow to get off the ground.
No longer would Chicago dispensaries and cultivation centers be required to have a state-licensed private security contractor present "24 hours a day, seven days a week." Instead, security guards would be required "at all times that they are open to the public, qualifying patients or designated caregivers."
"The industry has, as you might expect, has not been as successful as was originally anticipated. This would hopefully reduce some of the burden on the operators without interfering with what our intent originally was: to make sure there was security on the premises during the time that they're" open for business, Burke said.
Tom Murphy is an attorney who worked to develop the state's two-year pilot program.
He argued that the Illinois law established "one of the strictest and most secure medical marijuana dispensary systems in the country" and that applicants went above and beyond those requirements to get an even higher security score on which their proposals were judged.
Those security measures include everything from perimeter alarms, panic buttons and motion detectors to laser equipment, armored doors, roll-down doors, vaults and video surveillance with 24-hour recordings maintained for 90 days, Murphy said.
"The city added a requirement for the presence of security guards 24/7. Our concern is that having someone locked into the premises after the premises are no longer open for business defeats the purpose of this high-tech surveillance equipment," Murphy said.
"It would have to be turned off if there's a person moving around the premises. And the fact the maximum hours of service are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. [means] you'd have to have a change of shift over the course of hours when you're no longer in business. That's the reason we are very, very encouraged that Ald. Burke and Ald. Cochran sponsored this change."
The Zoning Committee sided with Murphy over the objections of Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).
"I spent a lot of time on this issue with my community. We denied one application and approved another. But in all cases, security at these facilities – especially during this two-year [pilot] period – was really instrumental in gaining acceptance from residents that abut these things," Tunney said.
"The industry has, as you might expect, has not been as successful as was originally anticipated. This would hopefully reduce some of the burden on the operators without interfering with what our intent originally was: to make sure there was security on the premises during the time that they're" open for business, Burke said.
Tom Murphy is an attorney who worked to develop the state's two-year pilot program.
He argued that the Illinois law established "one of the strictest and most secure medical marijuana dispensary systems in the country" and that applicants went above and beyond those requirements to get an even higher security score on which their proposals were judged.
Those security measures include everything from perimeter alarms, panic buttons and motion detectors to laser equipment, armored doors, roll-down doors, vaults and video surveillance with 24-hour recordings maintained for 90 days, Murphy said.
"The city added a requirement for the presence of security guards 24/7. Our concern is that having someone locked into the premises after the premises are no longer open for business defeats the purpose of this high-tech surveillance equipment," Murphy said.
"It would have to be turned off if there's a person moving around the premises. And the fact the maximum hours of service are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. [means] you'd have to have a change of shift over the course of hours when you're no longer in business. That's the reason we are very, very encouraged that Ald. Burke and Ald. Cochran sponsored this change."
The Zoning Committee sided with Murphy over the objections of Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).
"I spent a lot of time on this issue with my community. We denied one application and approved another. But in all cases, security at these facilities – especially during this two-year [pilot] period – was really instrumental in gaining acceptance from residents that abut these things," Tunney said.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Chicago: Aldermen Ease Security Mandates For Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Author: Fran Spielman
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Chicago Sun-Times
At the behest of Aldermen Edward Burke (14th) and Willie Cochran (20th), the Zoning Committee agreed to soften the requirement in a way that eases the financial burden on a medical marijuana industry that has been slow to get off the ground.
No longer would Chicago dispensaries and cultivation centers be required to have a state-licensed private security contractor present "24 hours a day, seven days a week." Instead, security guards would be required "at all times that they are open to the public, qualifying patients or designated caregivers."
"The industry has, as you might expect, has not been as successful as was originally anticipated. This would hopefully reduce some of the burden on the operators without interfering with what our intent originally was: to make sure there was security on the premises during the time that they're" open for business, Burke said.
Tom Murphy is an attorney who worked to develop the state's two-year pilot program.
He argued that the Illinois law established "one of the strictest and most secure medical marijuana dispensary systems in the country" and that applicants went above and beyond those requirements to get an even higher security score on which their proposals were judged.
Those security measures include everything from perimeter alarms, panic buttons and motion detectors to laser equipment, armored doors, roll-down doors, vaults and video surveillance with 24-hour recordings maintained for 90 days, Murphy said.
"The city added a requirement for the presence of security guards 24/7. Our concern is that having someone locked into the premises after the premises are no longer open for business defeats the purpose of this high-tech surveillance equipment," Murphy said.
"It would have to be turned off if there's a person moving around the premises. And the fact the maximum hours of service are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. [means] you'd have to have a change of shift over the course of hours when you're no longer in business. That's the reason we are very, very encouraged that Ald. Burke and Ald. Cochran sponsored this change."
The Zoning Committee sided with Murphy over the objections of Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).
"I spent a lot of time on this issue with my community. We denied one application and approved another. But in all cases, security at these facilities – especially during this two-year [pilot] period – was really instrumental in gaining acceptance from residents that abut these things," Tunney said.
"The industry has, as you might expect, has not been as successful as was originally anticipated. This would hopefully reduce some of the burden on the operators without interfering with what our intent originally was: to make sure there was security on the premises during the time that they're" open for business, Burke said.
Tom Murphy is an attorney who worked to develop the state's two-year pilot program.
He argued that the Illinois law established "one of the strictest and most secure medical marijuana dispensary systems in the country" and that applicants went above and beyond those requirements to get an even higher security score on which their proposals were judged.
Those security measures include everything from perimeter alarms, panic buttons and motion detectors to laser equipment, armored doors, roll-down doors, vaults and video surveillance with 24-hour recordings maintained for 90 days, Murphy said.
"The city added a requirement for the presence of security guards 24/7. Our concern is that having someone locked into the premises after the premises are no longer open for business defeats the purpose of this high-tech surveillance equipment," Murphy said.
"It would have to be turned off if there's a person moving around the premises. And the fact the maximum hours of service are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. [means] you'd have to have a change of shift over the course of hours when you're no longer in business. That's the reason we are very, very encouraged that Ald. Burke and Ald. Cochran sponsored this change."
The Zoning Committee sided with Murphy over the objections of Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).
"I spent a lot of time on this issue with my community. We denied one application and approved another. But in all cases, security at these facilities – especially during this two-year [pilot] period – was really instrumental in gaining acceptance from residents that abut these things," Tunney said.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Chicago: Aldermen Ease Security Mandates For Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Author: Fran Spielman
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Chicago Sun-Times
