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* Give the government credit. It has thoroughly indoctrinated a large number of people during the War on Drugs…
“I want to keep our children as safe as possible,” said Wenthe. “I don’t want to increase the number of people in our community already using marijuana. I’ve overheard grown adults right here in our community say that if they do sell it here in Effingham, they may have to try it once to see what it is like.”
Heaven forbid that people might try a legal product to see for themselves what it’s all about.
* Oak Park…
Trustee Jim Taglia, who voted no for the previous marijuana ordinance, was happy the village board will take another look at the issue.
“I do have concerns about the permitted use on North Avenue and our most vulnerable areas, especially perimeter streets,” Taglia said. “I’m glad we’re going to take a look at it.”
And by “perimeter streets” I’m assuming he’s not talking about the border with River Forest. Just sayin.
* Meanwhile…
In a non-descript building on the outskirts of downstate Dwight, production is ramping up for a revolutionary day in Illinois. Cultivators are trimming, prodding, and pampering cannabis plants, in preparation for marijuana legalization, January 1.
“We are cranking as hard as we can crank,” said Jeremy Unruh, director of regulatory affairs for Pharmacann, which operates the Dwight facility. “The state has given us authority to begin producing adult use products, now it’s just a matter of ramping up production to make sure that we come as close as we can to meeting the demand that we’ll see after January.”
It’s a process which is repeating itself at growing facilities statewide. In Pharmacann’s case, that includes an expansion of the Dwight facility which was built for the state’s medical marijuana program.
“We’re doubling the capacity here in the Dwight cultivation center,” Unruh said, “so we can put out about twice as much product as we currently put out in the medical scheme.”
* But that’s not going to be nearly enough…
[Medical cannabis consultant Kalee Hooghkirk of Full Spektrum Services] showed us product lists from several dispensaries. Typical was a drop from dozens of product options to just three, and price increases included a jump from $50 to $60 for a gram of cannabis concentrate.
“We’ve been promised for the past four years that prices would go down and availability would go up, and unfortunately, we’re seeing the exact opposite,” Hooghkirk said. […]
The Cannabis Association of Illinois, a trade group, explains it this way – over the past year, it’s become easier to qualify for medicinal marijuana, and the list of accepted medical conditions has grown. It’s raised the pool of marijuana patients from roughly 20,000 to more than 80,000.
With state approval needed to grow more supply, the industry is struggling to meet demand – and that doesn’t even include the rush of new customers expected when recreational use begins.
* Related…
* 2 more medical marijuana dispensaries in Chicago approved to sell recreational pot on Jan. 1
* Pot companies shed real estate amid dearth of financing options - Capital-hungry weed firms are increasingly selling off property as other sources of funding dry up.
* Highland City Council approves marijuana dispensaries in city limits
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 2:31 pm
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Previous Post: Pritzker: “I want them to work their differences out so that we can get something done”
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People smoke weed in Oak Park? It’s really not the same Toke Park even of my not so far back in time youth. Also, there us already a head shop on North Ave. just passed Ridgeland Ave.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 2:42 pm
“I want to keep our children as safe as possible”
Then regulate, restrict and sell legally, rather than destructive and futile marijuana prohibition, where for decades kids have gone to the black market.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 2:49 pm
“… if they do sell it here in Effingham, they may have to try it once to see what it is like.”
Don’t kid yourself, they already know.
Comment by Bruce (no not him) Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 2:58 pm
I like this quote from the 1st article: “it could lead to more people with impaired judgment in and around our town.”
Not just creating people with impaired judgment, cannabis use is going to add MORE people to the existing set of people of with impaired judgement in Effingham.
That’s reassuring that there currently exists in Effingham a population of “impaired people” and that Effingham is a “gun sanctuary” and somehow adding cannabis sales to the area will increase the “impaired people” within the area.
Comment by JSS Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 2:59 pm
=The Cannabis Association of Illinois, a trade group, explains it this way – over the past year, it’s become easier to qualify for medicinal marijuana, and the list of accepted medical conditions has grown. It’s raised the pool of marijuana patients from roughly 20,000 to more than 80,000.=
The owners supported every expansion bill. JB had a press conference a year ago outside of one. They knew getting Rauner out of office would expand the program. They supported the opioid alternative program last year. They have complained since 2015 that they were NOT at full capacity in their grow operations bc of the barriers to get in the program.
So, as each bill passed that made it easier to apply, why didn’t they amp up their production efforts?
Also, the state releases monthly patient numbers and sales. Owners track those numbers. If they are NOT going to have enough product for sick people (cancer patients, kids with epilepsy, etc) then maybe the effective date for adult use should be delayed. {sigh}
And please… there were more than 20,000 patients that had qualified for the program as of Jan 2019. {double sigh}
Update – January 4, 2019
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has approved applications for 52,365 qualifying patients (including 371 persons under 18 years of age), since it began accepting applications for the Medical Cannabis Registry Program on September 2, 2014.
The January report also shows the served 29,954 unique patients.
https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/mcpp/Pages/update01042019.aspx
The numbers released today show 87,207 qualifying patients with licensed medical cannabis dispensaries serving 50,834 unique patients. https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/mcpp/Pages/update10072019_mcpp.aspx
So. In January 2019 licensed dispensaries served 29,954 unique patients, In November 2019 they served 52,365. If the industry is going to use numbers, don’t mix the patients served with the total number of patients that have qualified since the program stated in 2014! {triple sigh}
Comment by {Sigh} Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:01 pm
“We are cranking as hard as we can crank,”
I somehow got an image of a room full of folks using flour sifters…….
Comment by a drop in Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:03 pm
My dispensary is already feeling the crunch. 2 weeks ago they had a couple dozen options for flower. They’re at 4 right now. 2 days ago they restocked, and for about 36 hours they had 8-10 options. Now they’re back to 4. There are going to be lots of mad people and long lines come January
Comment by SWIL_Voter Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:07 pm
Deerfield also has opted-in.
Comment by Just Observing Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:10 pm
The New York Times reported at the end of April, 2019, that 80% of California’s nearly 500 municipalities do not allow retail businesses. There were also references to a glut on the market and complaints from licensed vendors that the black market remained strong. I know there is a lot of hand wringing on this site over municipalities taking their time approving sales or failing to reject sales, but it appears these issues are not unique to Illinois.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:13 pm
Who could imagine that they would be freaking out in…Effingham? It can’t happen here.
I think they’ve given us the weekend signoff song.
Comment by ChrisB Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:16 pm
Another FIRST: Decatur Citizens group launched petition drive to put pot advisory referendum on March primary ballot after city Council voted to opt out + voted down a proposed referendum. See linked stores–Decatur H & R + WAND TV
https://herald-review.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/advocates-of-decatur-cannabis-sales-prepare-to-seek-thousands-of/article_47722995-b079-5eba-a307-b424718de93d.html#tracking-source=home
https://www.wandtv.com/news/decatur-group-seeks-signatures-to-put-recreational-cannabis-issue-on/article_b5b68ada-ff84-11e9-b2ff-8bb31614f75a.html
Comment by watchdog Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:30 pm
I am all for legalization and am all for the Social Equity portions of the new law. The problem is that the way the licensing has been setup combined with the national trend towards consolidation in the industry has already created a market where small businesses are going to struggle to be viable. Illinois put high barriers to entry for the medical program and those folks have been able to use their money to leverage the new law into being most beneficial for them.
Comment by Kentucky Bluegrass x Featherbed Bent x Northern California Sinsemilla Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 3:52 pm
The village board meetings in North Shore suburbs about recreational marijuana were NUTS. A couple of churches were busing a lot of protesters from town to town. (I mean, they had at least some people who lived in each town, but they would show up in force with people from all around the area.) Some of it got downright rowdy, which isn’t typical for these little suburban board meetings. It’s been interesting to watch.
Comment by Suburban Mom Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 6:14 pm
I understand, but, it’s gonna happen and it’s gonna be hard at first. But, it’s about the flower, not you cheese! So, instead of freaking out about options, embrace the ones you have. Love, thehuMan
Comment by thehuMan Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 8:12 pm
Don’t know the rules well enough but this looming demand shortage seems like a good opportunity to partner with a state with supply issues like Oregon or Washington State. Not a long term solution but a short term fix to help boost sales tax revenues.
Comment by Chambanalyst Thursday, Nov 7, 19 @ 9:10 pm