County Marijuana Rules Up in the Air

With the upcoming legalization of recreational marijuana at the State level, local governments across the State are deciding whether and how to embrace the new law. At the County level, the Environment and Land Use Committee deadlocked on recommending proposed ordinances this month to the full board. From the News-Gazette this week:

The future of recreational-marijuana-related businesses in unincorporated areas like Penfield, Seymour and Dewey is in the hands of the full Champaign County Board, after a deadlocked Environment and Land Use Committee cast a pair of 3-3 votes Thursday night.

With Democrat Stephanie Fortado absent, the committee was left with three Democrats and three Republicans present for Thursday’s meeting.

First, a motion to adopt a zoning ordinance amendment allowing a variety of recreational-marijuana-related businesses — including dispensaries, transporters, craft growers, cultivation centers, infusers and processors — ended in a tie, with the Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.

Under the rules, because this was an amendment to an ordinance, the proposal dies, according to Zoning Administrator John Hall.

Next, a motion to adopt a brand-new ordinance prohibiting recreational-marijuana-related businesses in unincorporated areas also ended in a tie, but with both parties taking the opposite position.

However, since this is a new ordinance, Hall said the rules call for advancing that issue to the full board with no recommendation from the committee.

More at the full article here. Video of the meeting will be available here when it is posted on the County Clerk's YouTube channel. There have been a couple updates recently on local plans for recreational marijuana in the Daily Illini and the News-Gazette here.

Some other recent presentations and information on minor marijuana conviction expungements and local impacts were in a recent Cheat Sheet post on the Reentry Council here. Relevant Excerpt:

There was also a report on the potential local implications of cannabis conviction expungement under a new Illinois law given by Champaign County Health Care Consumers. An overview of that report is available here. For a helpful explanation of expungement and sealing, including the new law on expungement of some cannabis convictions, the Champaign County Circuit Clerk had a recent presentation on the subject for CU Speaks.

More at that post here.