Addison dispensary gains license for recreational marijuana sales
EarthMed in Addison is the latest medical marijuana dispensary in the West or Northwest suburbs to gain a state license to sell marijuana to adults for recreational use beginning Jan. 1.
The state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced a new round of seven recreational cannabis business licensees Tuesday, bringing the total number of such licenses awarded so far to 29 across the state.
All licenses awarded are to existing businesses already permitted to sell medical marijuana.
EarthMed joins facilities in Collinsville, Milan, Springfield, Quincy and two in Chicago on the list of new recreational licensees announced Tuesday.
In the West and Northwest suburbs, EarthMed is the seventh medical shop to receive permission to begin recreational sales, following Verilife in Arlington Heights, PDI Medical Dispensary in Buffalo Grove, New Age Care in Mount Prospect, The Clinic Mundelein, 3C Compassionate Care Center - Naperville and Verilife in North Aurora.
Licenses given to each of these businesses allow recreational sales to begin Jan. 1 from the same site where medical sales take place, "provided the dispensary complies with local zoning rules or other local laws," the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation said in a news release.
Based on local zoning rules enacted this fall, recreational licensees in Buffalo Grove and Mundelein should be good to go. Those in Mount Prospect and North Aurora also likely will be allowed to operate, based on proposed zoning ordinances.
But Arlington Heights has banned recreational marijuana sales. Naperville has implemented a ban, too, but has committed to put the topic to a referendum question in the March 17 primary election.
Addison officials did not immediately return calls Tuesday about whether the village will allow or ban recreational marijuana sales. The village was to begin preliminary discussions about the topic but is not expected to make a final decision until next month.
The state in the coming months also plans to issue an additional 75 licenses to new applicants to sell marijuana for recreational use.
• Daily Herald staff writer Robert Sanchez contributed to this report