CHICAGO, IL — A South Side medical cannabis dispensary has been approved to sell recreational marijuana by the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation. The „same site” cannabis license allows existing medical cannabis dispensaries to obtain an adult use dispensing license.
Maribis of Chicago, 4570 S. Archer Ave. in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood will begin adult use cannabis sales at the location starting Jan. 1, 2020, provided the dispensary complies with local zoning rules or other laws.
To date, 14 medical cannabis dispensaries in Illinois have been approved for „same site” licenses. In addition to opening adult use sales at the Maribis medical cannabis site, the license also permits Maribis to open a second site for recreational marijuana sales at a different location.
Applicants throughout the state, including „social equity” applicants in areas that are considered „disproportionately impacted areas,” will have the opportunity to apply for an additional 75 adult use cannabis licenses. The applications are due by May 1, 2020, when IDFPR plans to award the adult-use licenses.
Maribis is the only medical cannabis dispensary on Chicago’s South Side to be granted a license to sell recreational marijuana and operate as a med-rec site. Other medical cannabis dispensaries in Chicago’s North Side Ravenswood neighborhood, Joliet, Mundelein, and Canton just outside of Peoria, have been awarded licenses to start adult use sales in January.
The city council in downstate Effingham, is expected to vote on whether to permit recreational pot sales on Nov. 19 after a medical cannabis dispensary was granted an adult use permit. In September, the Naperville City Council voted to ban the sale of recreational marijuana in September.
After Jan. 1, 2020, Illinois residents 21 and over will be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flowers and up to 5 grams of cannabis concentrate.