With a state law legalizing recreational marijuana going into effect Jan. 1, Deerfield took its next step toward allowing one dispensary in the village after listening to passionate comments from both those opposing a potential business and others favoring it.
The Village Board of Trustees approved a recommendation from the Plan Commission Oct. 7 at Village Hall setting forth regulations with which a recreational cannabis dispensary must comply to operate in Deerfield.
In a 5-1 vote, Trustee William Seiden was the only no. There was an overflow crowd of more than 200 present at the meeting and the board chambers were full, with people standing outside the doors as well as sitting on chairs where they could watch and listen behind an adjacent hallway window.
Of the 43 people who spoke, 28 were against a dispensary, 14 favored it and one did not take a side but asked the board to do a more thorough study before making a final decision. A number of those present wore “opt out” stickers urging the board to not allow a dispensary.
Though the board plans to add regulations to those suggested by the plan commission, Village Manager Kent Street told the crowd before public comment the recommendation was for only one dispensary in town. The village approved a 3% sales tax for the substance Sept. 16.
Street said proposed regulations would require an applicant to separately apply for a special-use permit. The facility can be no larger than 5,000 square feet confined to a location roughly bounded by Waukegan, Pfingsten and Kates roads, as well as Deerfield’s southern border.
Along with the size requirement, Street said the dispensary must be 1,000 feet from preschools, elementary schools, high schools, secondary schools and child care facilities. It must also be 500 feet from parks and residential areas. Onsite use of marijuana is prohibited.
Before the vote, Mayor Harriet Rosenthal said she worked hard to prevent the state from passing the law legalizing recreational marijuana but now that it is a reality she has wrestled with the best way to deal with it.
Rosenthal said problems people fear will occur whether users buy it in Deerfield or get it in a nearby community and drive through the village on their way home, possibly after consuming it.
“Regulating what we allow in the village is a pragmatic approach,” Rosenthal said. “We are going to have traffic and we’re going to have to deal with it. It is only allowed for people over 21. There is already a (medical cannabis) store in the village.”
Seiden said though there would be some additional revenue through the sales tax, the extra money was not a good enough reason to allow a dispensary. He does not want to see it in the community.
“I don’t want my kids, my grandkids or my great-grandkids to say, ‘You said it was OK, so why shouldn’t I do it?'” Seiden said.
During the board’s discussion after the public had its say, two participants who had opposed recreational marijuana businesses interrupted the trustees, requiring Rosenthal to restore order.
Sandra Littau of Deerfield said she did not want to see anything that people ingest sold in the village that is not FDA approved. Jeanny Chung, also of Deerfield, said she fears allowing the dispensary could alter the character of the community. She wants it to remain as it is.
“When we bought our home, Deerfield was at the top of our list,” Chung said. “It is a place with safety, great schools and wonderful neighborhoods. It’s a place where your kids ride their bike down the street.”
The Rev. Norval Brown, pastor of Deerfield’s Christ United Methodist Church, said allowing the dispensary gives the wrong message to the village’s youth and makes access a little closer. He suggested opting out.
“This is not necessarily beneficial to our community,” Brown said. “It makes it more accessible to children and our youth. It is a moral decision we must make.
Craig Katz, a Deerfield resident who favors allowing the special use, said Deerfield is an outstanding community and a dispensary will not change that. He said the youth are exemplary and that, too, will not change.
“This is a learning moment,” Katz said. “The teachers and the parents will keep the kids from getting it. If we keep raising our kids like we have, it’s not going to happen. They will keep our kids safe.”
The medical cannabis dispensary, Grassroots Cannabis, is located on Pfingsten across from the Edens Spur of the Tri-State Tollway.
Mitch Kahn, a Deerfield resident and Grassroots CEO, was at the meeting but did not speak. He said he anticipates applying for a license from the state to operate in Deerfield, something that would subject him to the restrictions in any ordinance Deerfield might eventually pass.
