Marijuana dispensary permit to go before Sycamore panel Monday

SYCAMORE – Officials and developers hope the third time’s a charm for a proposed medical marijuana facility, but advocates aren’t betting on a different outcome.

The Dispensary Sycamore has twice sought approval from the city’s Planning Commission in 2015 and 2017.

The proposed facility, at 1985 Gateway Drive just east of the Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, must gain a special use permit from the city prior to filing for a state license.

The city approved both previous permits but the company behind the plan, Chicago-based Canna Consultants, didn’t follow through with the state application in 2015. The state has not re-opened its application period since.

Sycamore City Manager Brian Gregory says he doesn’t anticipate any problems at the local level of the approval process this time around.

The city approved the special use for the same property twice previously, Gregory said Thursday.

“The plan remains the same,” he said.

Federal setbacks

Canna’s third effort to bring a dispensary to DeKalb County comes as the state expands its medical marijuana programs, despite setbacks on the federal level.

The Department of Justice issued new guidelines last year cracking down on financial facilities that work with marijuana dispensaries and growers. That caused the Bank of Springfield, Illinois’ main bank for medical marijuana companies, to pull out of assisting growers and dispensaries in May, raising questions over the future of state efforts.

But officials in Springfield pushed ahead with the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program to expanded medical marijuana use in light of a growing opioid addiction crisis that saw 2,202 overdose deaths statewide in 2017, according to the Illinois Department of Health.

Under the program, passed by the Democratic-controlled statehouse and signed into law by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, patients receive certification through their physician to apply for the program before paying a $10 registration fee and selecting a dispensary.

Application period in question

Medical marijuana expansion advocates say they expect the number of patient enrollees to double under the new program, despite federal pressure to limit marijuana cultivation for even medical purposes. But DeKalb County, listed as state Medical Cannabis District 23, currently has no dispensary.

Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML), says he doesn’t expect the state to open up another application period for districts that have not previously submitted proposals, including District 23.

“Unfortunately, I’d be surprised if the state opened up that second application round now that [recreational] adult use is on the horizon,” Linn said via email.

The 2014 Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act allowed for 60 licensed medical dispensaries across the state. So far, 55 licenses have been granted and a further 21 cultivation centers have been approved by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The Sycamore Planning Commission meets 7 p.m. Monday at the Sycamore Center, 308 W. State St.