Looking on the bright side
Wednesday, Sep 11, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Quad City Times…
[Rock Island] Mayor Mike Thoms asked if marijuana will be allowed to be consumed at indoor smoking lounges such as Hickey Brothers, 130 18th St. […]
[Rock Island Planning and Redevelopment Administrator Miles Brainard] said the simple solution is for the city to prohibit consumption in any business that does not sell cannabis or have a cannabis license.
“I don’t necessarily like that idea,” [Ald. Dylan Parker, Ward 5] said. “I think an establishment like Hickey Brothers where you can currently smoke cigarettes, if they’re not selling cannabis, why not be able to consume it?”
Somewhere, sometime leaders of a town or city are going to realize that they can bring in a whole lot of tourists by fully embracing the new state law.
* Speaking of which…
Despite some members voicing concerns it might slow the process, the Bloomington City Council on Monday approved a request to establish a task force in preparation for next year’s legalization of recreational marijuana use.
Council member Jenn Carrillo proposed creating the cannabis review and implementation committee, and planned to serve as its chair. At Monday’s meeting, the council approved her request by a 6-3 vote after amending the resolution to remove Carrillo’s automatic appointment as chair and limiting the panel’s term to 90 days. […]
Carrillo has said she believes the city should embrace the cannabis industry to boost tourism.
It’s not for every town, but it could work. Heck, it’s worth a shot somewhere.
* Mt. Vernon is not exactly a liberal town…
Mt Vernon Mayor John Lewis said his city is on board. “You have two choices, opt-in or opt-out. We opted in,” he said. “You’re not stopping anything. I cannot see where opting out does anything.” […]
Lewis calls himself a pragmatist. “[Marijuana] is already here…it’s where society is going, I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, I just need to play on the playing field I’ve got,” he said. […]
Lewis believes the dispensary will bring jobs, “We will take any kind of jobs they will bring to an investment in our city. I don’t care if they are low paying, medium paying or high paying jobs, we want them all.”
- Kentucky Bluegrass x Featherbed Bent x Northern California Sinsemilla - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
All they need to do is copy and paste the concepts of craft breweries and wine “trails” but it is hard when there have been decades of demonization of a plant and its consumers.
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 1:41 pm:
If county and city governments band together on cannabis implementation ordinances, can they call it a “joint resolution”?
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 1:41 pm:
Come to Illinois for the Ganja Tour. Start out in Chicago with Windy City Weed. Head down to the Joliet Joint. Down I55 for the Bloomington Blunt. Next stop is Lincoln for the Railspitter Reefer. Springfield is next for the Capital Dope. Decide whether to head east for the Champaign Chronic or west for the Jacksonville Jolly Green. Not to leave out southern Illinois, go for the Harrisburg Herb or the Carbondale Cheeba.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 2:05 pm:
Exactly right. Marijuana is already here. Thankfully legalization will allow some towns to capitalize on it, while others may opt out, which is okay, too. Marijuana use continues unabated by the drug war. Great that we’re finally surrendering on a futile and destructive war and denialism.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 2:05 pm:
Shout out to mayor John Lewis. That’s the smartest, most straight-forward comment that I’ve seen on this issue since this whole thing started. 1 thousand times better than Carillo’s weak “let’s create another study group, and I’ll be in charge of that thank you very much”. 1 million times better than Naperville city council’s holier-than-thou approach “We can’t sell that stuff, I mean, we have children living here after all”
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 2:10 pm:
Oy… what an amazing (in a very good way) comment from Mayor Lewis. That’s how one attracts business, jobs…and remains in office as a public official. Mazel tov.
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 2:11 pm:
@Norseman: Hilarious…no snark.
- Central Illinois Center Right - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 2:29 pm:
Bloomington’s idea is interesting I think. Lot of folks seem to think Jan 1 will come and everyone can walk into every smoke shop or cvs and buy cannabis over the counter. The entire BN area plus dewitt county gets one more license in the near future - why not see what a task force has to say in the interim? Get users, business, public, private etc
- ChrisB - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 2:37 pm:
@Norseman
How can you forget Sangamon Sensi?
To the post, I’m OK with regulating where people can light up. I took a trip to SF this summer, and anyone smoking outside of the bars wasn’t smoking tobacco. The whole city smelled awful.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 4:17 pm:
=Mt Vernon Mayor John Lewis=
I like the cut of his jib.
- R A T - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 4:20 pm:
Keeping coming south Norseman. Some of the best Marion MaryJane and Cairo cabbage. (and no need to wait until January 1)
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 4:34 pm:
“Carbondale Cheeba”
Somebody knows his/her edibles.
- Generic Drone - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 5:05 pm:
Those who opt in early could benefit most.
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 5:22 pm:
Don’t forget Decatur Dank.
Awful is in the nose of the sniffer?
To mine…the smell of burning cannabis is highly fragrant.
- McLincoln - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 6:29 pm:
Re: Norseman @ 1:41
Nobody wants to swing at the Marion softball?
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 8:35 pm:
I’ll have the tourism folks add your suggestions to the tour guide.
- Springfield Westsider - Wednesday, Sep 11, 19 @ 9:17 pm:
@Norseman, you forgot Peoria Purple Haze
- Southern_Dawg - Thursday, Sep 12, 19 @ 8:57 am:
Mt. Vernon mayor is retired ISP. Gotta love when even the state police realize mj is the least of our concerns.