Oglesby site one of 18 given medical marijuana permits by Gov. Rauner

The wait to find out which companies will be allowed to grow and sell medical marijuana in Illinois is over.

Governor Bruce Rauner Monday awarded the permits to cultivation centers and dispensaries after taking steps to fix what his aides said were legal flaws in the license award process under former Governor Pat Quinn.

GTI Clinic Holding, LLC received the one permit being issued for a cultivation center in State Police District 17. The company plans to build near the Love’s Travel Stop in Oglesby.

Oglesby Mayor Don Finley spoke with GTI officials shortly after the permits were announced. Finley says he’s happy to see the area getting new jobs. The cultivation center is expected to use a lot of electricity, which Finley says is also good for the city since they lost their biggest electric customer several years ago.

The one dispensary being allowed in District 17, Pharmacann, LLC plans to open in Ottawa.

In all, 18 businesses were given cultivate center permits, but three applications are being reviewed. 52 businesses were awarded licenses for dispensaries while five applications are being reviewed.

Proposed La Salle County medical marijuana cultivation center request receives a second change

While Governor Pat Quinn puts off issuing licenses for medical marijuana cultivation centers, the La Salle County Board is delaying a vote for a proposed cultivation center on Route 34.

Medmen of Illinois, LLC wants to put a cultivation center near Leland, but a request for a zoning change was shot down by the La Salle County Zoning Board of Appeals. The zoning board says a cultivation center doesn’t fit into the county’s comprehensive plan.

The supporters of the proposal were able to convince the county board Thursday to sent the zoning change request back to the zoning board.

The state could announce cultivation center license recipients at any time.

Oglesby mayor getting antsy over lack of medical marijuana announcement

Is there a chance that Governor-elect Bruce Rauner slows down medical marijuana even more in Illinois? Oglesby’s mayor is fearful of that happening.

In talking with the cultivation center applicant in Oglesby, Don Finley says he gets the sense that Governor Pat Quinn may not announce cultivation center licenses before he hands things over to Bruce Rauner on Monday. While Quinn has supported medical marijuana, Rauner’s been opposed to the idea.

Through Oglesby’s city Facebook page, Finley is asking you to call the governor’s office and urge him to take action on medical marijuana. Finley says even if Oglesby isn’t picked to grow medical marijuana, someone in the Illinois Valley will be fortunate enough to offer up new jobs.

Dispensary request doesn’t receive city council support

You won’t be driving to 21^st Street in Peru to pick up a medical marijuana prescription. A request to change the zoning rules for a medical marijuana dispensary was shot down by the Peru City Council Monday night without a vote.

Before the topic came up, several people with houses or property near the proposed site explained why they were against the location. Realtor Barb Kuzma thought it would make the neighborhood unsafe. She and builder Dick Fay thought it would hurt property values. Another woman, Jennifer Ebner, said it would ruin her plans to open a childcare center on Marquette Road.

City council members agreed it wasn’t a good location for a dispensary. Alderman Mike Radtke reminded everyone that the site is zoned for office space and not retail, which is largely why the Zoning Board of Appeals didn’t recommend a change.

When it came time to vote on the request the council didn’t. Nobody made a motion and the request died.

Sixth company to request permission for medical marijuana in Peru

Will Peru be the home of the one medical marijuana cultivation center allowed in District 17? A sixth company interested in applying for a state permit will present their plans Monday.

Representatives of MEDICANN, LLC plan to be at the Peru committee of the whole meeting at 7pm. They’re asking for a special use for a property on 103^rd Road.  A regular council meeting will follow at 7:30pm

Public meeting scheduled for Ottawa medical marijuana proposal

Companies are swarming the Illinois Valley in hopes of opening a medical marijuana cultivation center. Do you know what would go on in a cultivation center or how it could affect your town?

You can hear more about PharmaCann, LLC’s proposal during a public meeting at 6pm Thursday. The company wants to build a medical marijuana cultivation center and dispensary in Ottawa. The meeting is at City Hall.

Medical marijuana cultivation center proposed for La Salle

Land in La Salle that was the proposed site of a water park is now the proposed site of a medical marijuana cultivation center. 

Bloom Illinois,  LLC is asking for a special use permit for about four acres west of Route 178 and and north of Interstate 80.
The city received the request Tuesday afternoon.   The request  needs to be considered by the planning commission. A hearing date has not been scheduled.

They are the first company to ask La Salle for a special use though other companies have looked at La Salle.

The land is bank owned and is included in a TIF district.

Peru mayor wants council to pick a medical pot company to endorse

Medical marijuana cultivation centers use a tremendous amount of electricity which is why Peru Mayor Scott Harl thinks it is time the city council endorse one of the four companies applying to the State Department of Agriculture.  Harl says the companies will be judged on a weighted system with an endorsement makes up 16% of their score.

State Police District 17 will only have one cultivation center and not all of the applicants want to develop in Peru. Four companies would open in Peru and so far only one of them has actually received the special use permit that’s required.

The deadline for companies to apply is September 22. Harl says the last chance the city council has to make an endorsement is September 8.

Two latest medical marijuana companies make their pitch to Peru

Medical marijuana is a competitive business- just listen to the would-be medical marijuana cultivation center operators.  The two latest companies interested in Peru made pitches to the city council Monday night.

Nassau Venture I LLC is the project of former State Senator Gary Dahl and Jon Chamlin.  Chamlin says they have put together a team of experts that would make them a good candidate to win a Department of Agriculture license.  He also says their local ties strengthen their chance of receiving approval.

Kayvan Khalatbari, a consultant for another company, Progressive Treatment Solutions LLC, emphasized their desire to make the cultivation center more energy efficient.

Four companies have publicly shown interest in Peru.   They each want the city’s endorsement.

Two more medical marijuana businesses have plans for Peru

A site on Industrial Drive and another on May Road are the newest potential medical marijuana cultivation centers in Peru. Land north of Interstate 80 has attracted at least four companies wishing to capitalize off the recently legalized drug.

Former State Senator Gary Dahl and Jon Chamlin are scheduled to talk Monday evening about a cultivation center proposed for 10 acres of land at May and Donlar Roads.

They are to be followed by Dr. Christine Heck. She’ll be talking about Progress Treatment Solution’s proposal for a site on Industrial Drive.

Both presentations will be part of the Committee of the Whole meeting beginning at 6pm.  Both companies plus the Med Farm are asking for special uses.

During the regular city council meeting at 7:30pm, the city council will likely give Agricare Labs a special use to turn the old Yellow Trucking terminal into a cultivation center.

Only one cultivation center will be licensed to operation in State Police District 17.  That decision will be made by state officials.