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Thursday, Sep 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Because of its existing medical cannabis dispensary, Carbondale is about to get one new adult use cannabis dispensary and it is seeking a second one that is eligible to go to Jackson County. There seems to be some real enthusiasm by local electeds to use the product to help boost the town’s lagging business/tourism environment. Ald. Adam Loos is apparently the most gung-ho. From the Southern Illinoisan..

There were logistical questions and suggestions from council members. Adam Loos spoke the most. He had a long list of recommendations and thoughts. He said his primary concern was taxing it — he thought the taxes should be low to undercut other counties and “to stamp out the black market” for pot sales.

He also said the sale of cannabis in Carbondale could go a long way to helping bring in tourism.

“I think it puts heads in beds,” Loos said, adding that it would attract people between the age of 40 and 60 years old.

“You’d be surprised how many people in that age smoke pot,” he said.

Loos also pointed out that allowing marijuana sales in town could help recruitment at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In fact, he had a suggestion.

“Change the slogan. SIU: Work hard. Play hard,” he said.

“Heads in beds.” Heh. Get it? That would also be a great jam band name.

I kinda doubt that SIUC will take him up on that slogan, but they had a lot of students when they were known as a party school. Once the town cracked down, however, student population began to decline. The town won the all too common town vs. gown fight and everybody ended up losing.

There were obviously other factors in SIUC’s decline, but look at towns where they work closely with their directionals and you’ll see successful towns and campuses.

* Meanwhile, at our northern border…

A marijuana dispensary has been approved in South Beloit, Ill., just outside Wisconsin.

The city council approved the measure unanimously Tuesday night, after the zoning passed last week.

According to the mayor of South Beloit, the dispensary would be built along Interstate 90. Beloit, Wis. and South Beloit, Ill. are just minutes away from each other, separated by the state line.

Legalization is the first real state-level legal change in years to attract out of state shoppers, along with the new border-area casinos.

13 Comments

- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:11 am:
Puts smiles on faces, the towns voting yes to recreational sales with tourism in mind and money to be made.

Heads in Beds could also be a good name for a 420 friendly hotel.

- Truthiness - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:13 am:
Residents of Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Iowa are going to come and spend money here. It’s up to Rockford, south suburbs, southern Illinois, metro east, and the quad cities to capitalize. Not everyone wants to drive to Chicago just like not everyone goes to Denver. Will Aurora be the next Boulder?

- So_Ill - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:18 am:
Sadly, killing the black market will actually be bad on the Carbondale economy.

This was a massive business in and around town for decades. This will take a lot of money out of a lot of people’s pockets that was spent lavishly all over town.

- {Sigh} - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:24 am:
Wasn’t aware that Carbondale had an existing dispensary. Thought the one in Williamson County was the closest dispensary. But Jackson & Williamson Counties are in the BLS region that qualifies for 1 new adult use dispensary and the law allows for the Williamson County dispensary to locate in that BLS region.

- Just A Dude - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:29 am:
So_Ill: That is the bootleggers sad song at the end of prohibtion.

- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:31 am:
===that was spent lavishly all over town===

lol

Have you been to that town lately? Ain’t no obvious lavish spending going on there.

- a drop in - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 10:58 am:
Heads in Beds sounds like a motel that rents rooms by the hour.

- SpfdNewb - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 11:04 am:
Truthiness, I would argue the Illinois version of Boulder is Urbana-Champaign and would actually be a great location for a regional cannabis hub. You said it the best, not everyone wants to drive to Chicago/Denver. Even Kankakee would be a good area too and could use the development $.

- germ x - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 11:26 am:
I think perhaps Loos likes him some hashish. I’d keep an eye on him.

Jon Stewart (Half-Baked), “Ever govern……on weeeeeed.”

- Leatherneck - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 11:46 am:
Chatham says No to recreational cannibis sales in town:

https://www.sj-r.com/news/20190925/chatham-nips-recreational-pot-sales-in-bud

- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 2:25 pm:
Heads in Beds Statewide Tour coming January 1, 2020…be there or be square,.

- Chippy Dave - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 3:13 pm:
Check out John Mulaney on legalized pot. It starts around 4:15 of the vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWOSc42Ga5g

- Cheech - Thursday, Sep 26, 19 @ 4:17 pm:
Time to dust off the back issue of Chicago Magazine that featured an article entitled “Burnt Out in Carbondale.” Southern Illinois University has been trying to shake the bad reputation that it received from that story ever since.

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