La Salle County marijuana dispensary will find out by Aug. 19 if it’s approved

At least 5 craft growing proposals, 1 dispensary eligible for licenses

Three craft marijuana-growing proposals in Streator, a craft grower in Marseilles, a craft grower in Peru and a marijuana dispensary proposal in Peru soon may get word whether they will be approved by the state.

On July 15, the state notified more than 200 applicants they were selected for craft growing and infusing operations, as well as for distribution. Once these applicants pay the required, applicable license fee, and submit a certification form, they will receive their license pursuant to the state’s rules.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office also announced there will be three lotteries by the end of August for marijuana dispensaries with a total of 185 licenses awarded.

A marijuana dispensary proposed by Vermilion Partners was given the go-ahead in May 2020 by the Peru City Council to open in the former Jackpot Bingo location on May Road. The company has been waiting word from the state for approval. The Verilife marijuana dispensary in Ottawa remains the only marijuana dispensary in La Salle County.

In addition, the Peru council approved Illinois Kindness Three LLC to operate a marijuana craft-growing, infusing and transporting business on the southeast corner of Donlar Avenue and Unytite Drive. If approved by the state, this business will not sell marijuana from its property.

In spring 2020, Llerem Illinois was approved by the city of Streator to establish a craft-growing facility for a lot east of Illinois Street and south of 12th Street, near the Norfolk Southern railroad line. The company also received approval from the city to grow medical marijuana at a location in the 600 block of Hickory Street and at the John and Joe Florist on West Main Street. Craft growers produce marijuana on a smaller scale. No sales take place at these facilities.

Rivers Edge Developers wants to erect a building smaller than 20,000 square feet just east of Sabic Plastics and west of Walbridge Creek in Marseilles to grow craft marijuana.

The newly signed bill, House Bill 1443, was an effort to jump-start the equity measures in the 2019 law that aimed to diversify the largely white, male-dominated legal marijuana industry.

Per the initial law, 75 dispensary licenses were to have been distributed more than one year ago, but of the 900-plus applicants for those licenses, only 21 achieved the perfect score necessary to be entered into the final lottery. That caused the governor’s office to pause the final lottery amid backlash from equity advocates.

That lottery will now be Aug. 19, with all 21 finalists eligible to win licenses.

While the initial lottery allowed only applicants that were tied for the highest score to reach the lottery, two new lotteries will apply to those who received a score of 85% or greater on their 250-point application.

The first new lottery, for 55 licenses, includes any firm that scored at least an 85% on its initial application that has not hit a 10-license limit. That lottery will be July 29.

The second new batch of 55 licenses would be available to firms that scored 85% or higher that also have at least 51% ownership who meet social equity requirements that include living in an area impacted by the war on drugs for at least 10 years, having been arrested or convicted of a marijuana crime eligible for expungement or being a member of a family impacted by the war on drugs. That lottery is scheduled for Aug. 5.