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A Chicago company seeking to enter the medical marijuana market is betting on senior citizens as a key client base. IL Grown Medicine is trying to secure three medical marijuana dispensary licenses in the city, and has partnered with a California-based dispensary to target elderly customers in Wicker Park, Mayfair and Pullman. The company hopes to open dispensaries at 4739 W. Montrose Ave., 1300-1308 W. North Ave. and 11040 S. Langley Ave.
Lester Hollis, CEO of IL Grown Medicine, said zoning difficulties have limited the possibilities on the South Side. "From the beginning of this process, [the South Side] was where we wanted to be. If we had to choose one area, that was where we would have prepared to be," Hollis said, because "that's where African-Americans are and we think we can be most impactful there."
The North Side locations were much easier to secure along with support from the aldermen and local officials, he said. "They just kind of worked out for us from a zoning perspective," he said. IGM partnered with California-based Harborside Health Center to ensure that its dispensaries would be operated with the experience of industry leaders, Hollis said. Harborside has been operating for eight years.
Sue Taylor, a consultant from Harborside, visited senior communities in South Chicago and Bronzeville to talk to them about medicinal marijuana and its benefits. "It's the seniors who benefit most from the cannabis, so I've been educating the people in the community about the benefits, about what it does. Because what's lacking is the education. People don't know that education is the missing piece," Taylor said.
Taylor said most seniors are on medication, taking a number of pills daily. "When they find out that a lot of these pills can be eliminated just by using the cannabis they become very interested because they're still taking those pills and they're still not feeling any better," she said. "Actually they're feeling worse and getting sicker so to know the cannabis might eliminate some of those pills they're very open."
The seniors seemed interested because "we're not trying to convince anyone of anything – we're just trying to bring information about the healing components of the plant," Taylor said. By educating the seniors about the healing components of marijuana "we're helping to dispel that stigma that surrounds it," Taylor said. Only individuals who've received a patient registration card from the Department of Public Health, or their designated caregiver, will be allowed to access the dispensaries.
This proposal is among numerous proposals to open medical marijuana dispensaries across the city, including others in Wicker Park, West Loop and Uptown. According to the city, dispensaries must be 1,000 feet from schools and day care centers and can't be in residences. The state is granting 60 dispensary licenses, and only 13 of them can be located in the city. A public hearing is held before the city's Zoning Board of Appeals before a permit is issued. As of Thursday, more than 200 applications have been filed. The state plans on notifying applicants whose licenses have been approved before the end of the year.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Dnainfo.com
Author: Josh McGhee
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Medical Marijuana Sites Proposed for Wicker Park, Mayfair, Pullman - Mayfair - DNAinfo.com Chicago
Lester Hollis, CEO of IL Grown Medicine, said zoning difficulties have limited the possibilities on the South Side. "From the beginning of this process, [the South Side] was where we wanted to be. If we had to choose one area, that was where we would have prepared to be," Hollis said, because "that's where African-Americans are and we think we can be most impactful there."
The North Side locations were much easier to secure along with support from the aldermen and local officials, he said. "They just kind of worked out for us from a zoning perspective," he said. IGM partnered with California-based Harborside Health Center to ensure that its dispensaries would be operated with the experience of industry leaders, Hollis said. Harborside has been operating for eight years.
Sue Taylor, a consultant from Harborside, visited senior communities in South Chicago and Bronzeville to talk to them about medicinal marijuana and its benefits. "It's the seniors who benefit most from the cannabis, so I've been educating the people in the community about the benefits, about what it does. Because what's lacking is the education. People don't know that education is the missing piece," Taylor said.
Taylor said most seniors are on medication, taking a number of pills daily. "When they find out that a lot of these pills can be eliminated just by using the cannabis they become very interested because they're still taking those pills and they're still not feeling any better," she said. "Actually they're feeling worse and getting sicker so to know the cannabis might eliminate some of those pills they're very open."
The seniors seemed interested because "we're not trying to convince anyone of anything – we're just trying to bring information about the healing components of the plant," Taylor said. By educating the seniors about the healing components of marijuana "we're helping to dispel that stigma that surrounds it," Taylor said. Only individuals who've received a patient registration card from the Department of Public Health, or their designated caregiver, will be allowed to access the dispensaries.
This proposal is among numerous proposals to open medical marijuana dispensaries across the city, including others in Wicker Park, West Loop and Uptown. According to the city, dispensaries must be 1,000 feet from schools and day care centers and can't be in residences. The state is granting 60 dispensary licenses, and only 13 of them can be located in the city. A public hearing is held before the city's Zoning Board of Appeals before a permit is issued. As of Thursday, more than 200 applications have been filed. The state plans on notifying applicants whose licenses have been approved before the end of the year.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Dnainfo.com
Author: Josh McGhee
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Medical Marijuana Sites Proposed for Wicker Park, Mayfair, Pullman - Mayfair - DNAinfo.com Chicago
