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Deerfield officials are open to allowing recreational marijuana sales, but in what form?

Deerfield village board members have started discussing different ways to regulate recreational marijuana sales in the village, floating ideas like a cap on the number of dispensaries allowed in town and keeping them away from schools and parks.

But the process to establish formal regulations is far from over after the board decided earlier this month on a 4-1 vote to direct the Deerfield Plan Commission to make recommendations on whether the village — where a medical marijuana dispensary already operates — should permit the sale of recreational marijuana and what the rules of operation would look like.

During a meeting in early July, Mayor Harriet Rosenthal revealed her suggestions for the forthcoming legalization, which begins Jan. 1 after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law last month.

She told trustees the village could set a limit that allows for only one recreational dispensary and prohibit dispensaries from operating within 100 feet of parks, 1,000 feet of K-8 schools and 2,000 of high schools, which would be the same local rules in effect now for medical dispensaries.

Under the new state law, marijuana use is prohibited on school grounds and public places, such as parks and streets, as well as inside cars. Anyone under 21 will not be permitted to purchase or consume the drug.

Individual communities in Illinois also can opt out and prevent a recreational dispensary from operating within their limits.

Rosenthal recently suggested keeping the location of recreational dispensaries to the same area where Grassroots Cannabis, a medical dispensary, currently operates along Pfingsten Road in Deerfield and also is bounded by Waukegan, Lake Cook and Kates roads.

Rosenthal, who added how she opposes the legalization of recreational marijuana, said the village also could set a 3% sales tax that would be intended to offset village costs related to policing and treating individuals who are under the influence of cannabis.

“There are going to be people driving in the village,” Rosenthal said. “They’re going to be on our streets. There are going to be people who have episodes. There are psychotic episodes that go along with this. There are other types of health issues. They’re going to call for ambulances.”

Trustee Bill Seiden, who was the only board member to vote against the resolution, said he would have preferred to see the village outright ban the sale of recreational marijuana in Deerfield.

“I’m not convinced it’s a good use for the village — period,” Seiden said. “There are going to be more people on our streets if we do sell marijuana.”

Trustees Robert Benton, Mary Oppenheim, Barbara Struthers and Tom Jester all voted for the resolution to advance the issue to the plan commission.

Dan Nakahara, a village planner who helps develop meeting agendas for the commission, said commissioners have not yet set a public hearing on the issue.

Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.