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Illinois - Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther presented village trustees with state regulations on medicinal marijuana and fielded questions. The board plans to pass extra restrictions by April. | Rick Kambic/Sun-Times Media. Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther thinks marijuana use will be legal soon, and he told village trustees that the upcoming medicinal use is one step toward an open market. Trustees and village staff met this week to discuss possible restrictions on potential incoming medicinal marijuana dispensaries, and now Mundelein leaders plan to pass ordinances sometime before April to further regulate them.
"In my profession opinion, we'll be back here in three years talking about the complete legalization of cannabis in the state of Illinois," Guenther said on Monday, Feb. 10. Illinois is taking similar steps that other states took when legalizing marijuana, he continued. "There's some legislation coming up in the next session that would further reduce the criminal penalties for possession of marijuana, which is again moving in a direction toward legalization," Guenther said. Trustees Terri Voss and Dawn Abernathy made disapproving gestures toward the notion and said they hope government can apply taxes on those products.
Properly regulating medical dispensaries would give Mundelein a strong footing if full legalization does happen, Guenther said. Illinois prohibits dispensaries from being in residential areas or within 1,000 feet of schools and daycare facilities. Guenther emphasized that Mundelein cannot stop a dispensary from buying or leasing property if all regulations are met. Permitted areas in Mundelein are primarily along both sides of Townline Road and west of Butterfield Road between Townline and Allanson roads. Another significant area is northwest of where Route 60 and Route 83 split, past Route 176. When reviewing state guidelines, Trustee Ed Sullivan asked why the drug is so shunned.
"I am a medical professional," Sullivan said. "I'm licensed by the DEA. The pharmaceuticals that I purchase and administer are far, far more potent and have greater risks for habit forming than medical marijuana. The places I buy them from are licensed and regulated by the DEA. "This is a drug (marijuana) prescribed by medical professionals that are licensed," he continued. "Why is this drug, which certainly needs to be regulated, being treated so much differently than the other influential psychogenic drugs?"
Guenther said the deeply rooted fear of punishment will be slow to change. "A lot of society's perspective is because (marijuana) has been used in such grand fashion illegally for so long and now it's being used for medical reasoning." Another form of medical of marijuana has already been mainstreamed, Guenther said while partially agreeing with Sullivan. "It's already available in pill form," Guenther said. "It has been for a long time, but that's not the way people want to use it now. They want it in its natural form."
The public safety concern to this new legislation, Guenther said, is centered on muggings outside of a dispensary because of the product and Illinois' cash only rule. He said an ounce of marijuana will range between $250 and $400. To help prevent crime, the dispensaries must have parking that is not obstructed by other buildings or landscaping. Windows can only be built in certain places as well, to prevent planned burglaries.
Otherwise, use of marijuana is primarily restricted to patients' homes and use anywhere else will be penalized like police do now, Guenther said. People may carry their prescribed marijuana on them, he continued, but the specially-designed package must be sealed. If a dispensary does move into town, village officials could regulate various operations, like sign usage and hours of operation.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Mundelein.suntimes.com
Author: Rick Kambic
Contact: Contact Us | Mundelein Review
Website: Mundelein readies for medical marijuana, possible full legalization | Mundelein Review
"In my profession opinion, we'll be back here in three years talking about the complete legalization of cannabis in the state of Illinois," Guenther said on Monday, Feb. 10. Illinois is taking similar steps that other states took when legalizing marijuana, he continued. "There's some legislation coming up in the next session that would further reduce the criminal penalties for possession of marijuana, which is again moving in a direction toward legalization," Guenther said. Trustees Terri Voss and Dawn Abernathy made disapproving gestures toward the notion and said they hope government can apply taxes on those products.
Properly regulating medical dispensaries would give Mundelein a strong footing if full legalization does happen, Guenther said. Illinois prohibits dispensaries from being in residential areas or within 1,000 feet of schools and daycare facilities. Guenther emphasized that Mundelein cannot stop a dispensary from buying or leasing property if all regulations are met. Permitted areas in Mundelein are primarily along both sides of Townline Road and west of Butterfield Road between Townline and Allanson roads. Another significant area is northwest of where Route 60 and Route 83 split, past Route 176. When reviewing state guidelines, Trustee Ed Sullivan asked why the drug is so shunned.
"I am a medical professional," Sullivan said. "I'm licensed by the DEA. The pharmaceuticals that I purchase and administer are far, far more potent and have greater risks for habit forming than medical marijuana. The places I buy them from are licensed and regulated by the DEA. "This is a drug (marijuana) prescribed by medical professionals that are licensed," he continued. "Why is this drug, which certainly needs to be regulated, being treated so much differently than the other influential psychogenic drugs?"
Guenther said the deeply rooted fear of punishment will be slow to change. "A lot of society's perspective is because (marijuana) has been used in such grand fashion illegally for so long and now it's being used for medical reasoning." Another form of medical of marijuana has already been mainstreamed, Guenther said while partially agreeing with Sullivan. "It's already available in pill form," Guenther said. "It has been for a long time, but that's not the way people want to use it now. They want it in its natural form."
The public safety concern to this new legislation, Guenther said, is centered on muggings outside of a dispensary because of the product and Illinois' cash only rule. He said an ounce of marijuana will range between $250 and $400. To help prevent crime, the dispensaries must have parking that is not obstructed by other buildings or landscaping. Windows can only be built in certain places as well, to prevent planned burglaries.
Otherwise, use of marijuana is primarily restricted to patients' homes and use anywhere else will be penalized like police do now, Guenther said. People may carry their prescribed marijuana on them, he continued, but the specially-designed package must be sealed. If a dispensary does move into town, village officials could regulate various operations, like sign usage and hours of operation.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Mundelein.suntimes.com
Author: Rick Kambic
Contact: Contact Us | Mundelein Review
Website: Mundelein readies for medical marijuana, possible full legalization | Mundelein Review
