Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
State Rep. Dwight Kay is sponsoring a bill in the Illinois House of Representatives that would require medical marijuana dispensaries to be located at least 1,500 feet away from the property lines of public or private preschools, elementary schools or daycare centers.
The current law holds that cannabis dispensaries may be no closer than 1,000 feet from the property lines of schools and daycare centers.
Kay said he sponsored the bill in response to a "cry for help" from his constituents, especially residents of a subdivision in Glen Carbon near the site of a proposed dispensary and about 1,200 feet from the athletic fields at Edwardsville High School. Kay was also responding to the opposition of Edwardsville School District 7 to the dispensary location, he said.
"They thought it presented a real imminent problem with respect to the protection of the kids and the possible dispensing of cannabis to the kids," Kay said of school officials.
Kay said he attended a number of meetings last year regarding citizen complaints about the dispensary location.
"I might just tell you, this was not a small concern," Kay said. "I went to a number of City Hall meetings in Glen Carbon, and the room was packed with people who were concerned."
In addition, he received at least 30 phone calls from parents opposed to the proposed dispensary location, Kay said.
Kay introduced the bill nearly four months after dozens of Glen Carbon residents held a rally to show their opposition to the proposed location of the Nature's Care cannabis dispensary into a building near the corner of Highway 157 and Ginger Creek.
A large subdivision sits behind the proposed dispensary site, with a Girl Scout regional office across the parking lot. Edwardsville High is located nearly 1,200 feet away from the proposed dispensary, which would have opened under the name Nature's Care LLC.
The dispute over Nature's Care's location might become moot. Nature's Care's application for a state dispensary license in District 11, the five-county area that includes Madison and St. Clair counties, was passed over in favor of a company called TGS Illinois LLC, which plans to build a dispensary near GCS Ball Park, in Sauget. The state plans to award a second dispensary license for District 11, but is holding off pending further review.
Kay's measure also prohibits dispensaries from providing more than 2.5 ounces of cannabis to a registered qualifying patient in any 14-day period, unless the patient has an Illinois Department of Public Health-approved quantity waiver.
The bill would authorize the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand and take other disciplinary action against any cannabis dispensing organization that violates the measure, including the imposition of fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation.
Kay's measure would take effect upon becoming law.
Gov. Bruce Rauner two weeks ago issued 52 dispensary licenses in 21 districts statewide, including the one for TGS Illinois. The law creating the four-year pilot medical marijuana program authorizes a total of 60 dispensaries.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Kay bill would change boundary rules for medical marijuana dispensaries | Metro-east news | News Democrat
Author: Mike Fitzgerald
Contact: mfitzgerald@bnd.com
Photo Credit: Derik Holtmann
Website: News, sports and weather for Belleville, IL | Belleville News-Democrat & bnd.com
The current law holds that cannabis dispensaries may be no closer than 1,000 feet from the property lines of schools and daycare centers.
Kay said he sponsored the bill in response to a "cry for help" from his constituents, especially residents of a subdivision in Glen Carbon near the site of a proposed dispensary and about 1,200 feet from the athletic fields at Edwardsville High School. Kay was also responding to the opposition of Edwardsville School District 7 to the dispensary location, he said.
"They thought it presented a real imminent problem with respect to the protection of the kids and the possible dispensing of cannabis to the kids," Kay said of school officials.
Kay said he attended a number of meetings last year regarding citizen complaints about the dispensary location.
"I might just tell you, this was not a small concern," Kay said. "I went to a number of City Hall meetings in Glen Carbon, and the room was packed with people who were concerned."
In addition, he received at least 30 phone calls from parents opposed to the proposed dispensary location, Kay said.
Kay introduced the bill nearly four months after dozens of Glen Carbon residents held a rally to show their opposition to the proposed location of the Nature's Care cannabis dispensary into a building near the corner of Highway 157 and Ginger Creek.
A large subdivision sits behind the proposed dispensary site, with a Girl Scout regional office across the parking lot. Edwardsville High is located nearly 1,200 feet away from the proposed dispensary, which would have opened under the name Nature's Care LLC.
The dispute over Nature's Care's location might become moot. Nature's Care's application for a state dispensary license in District 11, the five-county area that includes Madison and St. Clair counties, was passed over in favor of a company called TGS Illinois LLC, which plans to build a dispensary near GCS Ball Park, in Sauget. The state plans to award a second dispensary license for District 11, but is holding off pending further review.
Kay's measure also prohibits dispensaries from providing more than 2.5 ounces of cannabis to a registered qualifying patient in any 14-day period, unless the patient has an Illinois Department of Public Health-approved quantity waiver.
The bill would authorize the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand and take other disciplinary action against any cannabis dispensing organization that violates the measure, including the imposition of fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation.
Kay's measure would take effect upon becoming law.
Gov. Bruce Rauner two weeks ago issued 52 dispensary licenses in 21 districts statewide, including the one for TGS Illinois. The law creating the four-year pilot medical marijuana program authorizes a total of 60 dispensaries.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Kay bill would change boundary rules for medical marijuana dispensaries | Metro-east news | News Democrat
Author: Mike Fitzgerald
Contact: mfitzgerald@bnd.com
Photo Credit: Derik Holtmann
Website: News, sports and weather for Belleville, IL | Belleville News-Democrat & bnd.com
