Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
It's official: Rock Island will be home to one of Illinois' medical marijuana dispensaries and one of the state's grow houses, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration announced Monday.
Construction of the facilities is expected to begin in the spring and, according to investors, the projects could generate up to 115 new jobs between the two businesses.
"It's great news on several fronts," Rock Island Mayor Dennis Pauley said. "It helps the people that need this medicine, and these are two great developments for Rock Island. It's good to be out on the leading edge."
The governor's general counsel announced 18 licenses would be awarded to growers and of the 60 available selling licenses, 52 have been awarded.
Matt Stern, co-owner of Milan-based Stern Beverage Inc., won one of the 52 licenses to sell cannabis and will own the only dispensary in Illinois State Police District 7, which includes Rock Island, Henry, Mercer and Knox counties.
Stern said he received a "barrage" of congratulatory texts and phone calls once the news broke late Monday afternoon, but said he wasn't celebrating yet.
"Now comes the hard part," Stern said. "I've got to get it (the dispensary) built and start selling the product."
Stern said he hopes to open the $1 million, 3,500-square-foot dispensary on vacant property adjacent to Rock Valley Plaza, 4200 46th Ave., under the name Nature's Treatment of Illinois Inc. within six to nine months.
Stern predicts cultivation center developers will have a more difficult time opening within the next six months.
"We're just building the structure and waiting for the product," he said. "They have to build a warehouse and get a crop up and ready."
Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, or GTI, received three permits to operate cultivation centers in three police districts, including District 7, where the company purchased 10 acres in an industrial park site off Andalusia Road in southwest Rock Island.
In a statement, Ben Kovler, founding principal for GTI, thanked Rauner's administration for their "thoughtful and thorough" review of the medical cannabis process.
GTI plans to invest $10 million at 8153 51st St. W., where a 44,000-square-foot cultivation center would generate between 30 and 35 jobs and potentially could employ 100 people in a 100,000-square-foot facility.
GTI also received permits to grow marijuana in Dixon and Oglesby and a license to sell it in Mundelein.
About 11,000 Illinois residents have begun the application process for patient cards, but only 600 have been approved.
Monday's announcement came a week after documents obtained by the Associated Press showed that former Gov. Pat Quinn's aides had prepared lists of businesses that were to receive lucrative medical marijuana licenses before he left office last month.
Stern and GTI appeared on the top-scoring lists of businesses that were to receive licenses in Illinois under Quinn's administration.
However, Rauner's general counsel, Jason Barclay, indicated in a statement that the Quinn administration's review of the applications had at times failed to comply with the law and the decision process would have likely resulted in litigation and it wouldn't have withstood judicial review.
While the state originally hoped registered patients would have access to medical cannabis this spring, the pilot program requires growing facilities to be functioning within six months.
Looking forward, Stern said he would prefer to purchase marijuana from GTI's warehouse, which will be located about eight miles from his dispensary, but noted his business will have the ability to buy product from any of the approved cultivation centers.
"We're just happy Gov. Rauner came to a quick decision," Stern said. "I was expecting another delay, but now it's another race."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Rock Island medical marijuana projects get Rauner's green light
Author: Jack Cullen
Contact: jcullen@qctimes.com
Photo Credit: Benjamin Rasmussen
Website: Quad-City Times: Quad Cities, IA/IL
Construction of the facilities is expected to begin in the spring and, according to investors, the projects could generate up to 115 new jobs between the two businesses.
"It's great news on several fronts," Rock Island Mayor Dennis Pauley said. "It helps the people that need this medicine, and these are two great developments for Rock Island. It's good to be out on the leading edge."
The governor's general counsel announced 18 licenses would be awarded to growers and of the 60 available selling licenses, 52 have been awarded.
Matt Stern, co-owner of Milan-based Stern Beverage Inc., won one of the 52 licenses to sell cannabis and will own the only dispensary in Illinois State Police District 7, which includes Rock Island, Henry, Mercer and Knox counties.
Stern said he received a "barrage" of congratulatory texts and phone calls once the news broke late Monday afternoon, but said he wasn't celebrating yet.
"Now comes the hard part," Stern said. "I've got to get it (the dispensary) built and start selling the product."
Stern said he hopes to open the $1 million, 3,500-square-foot dispensary on vacant property adjacent to Rock Valley Plaza, 4200 46th Ave., under the name Nature's Treatment of Illinois Inc. within six to nine months.
Stern predicts cultivation center developers will have a more difficult time opening within the next six months.
"We're just building the structure and waiting for the product," he said. "They have to build a warehouse and get a crop up and ready."
Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, or GTI, received three permits to operate cultivation centers in three police districts, including District 7, where the company purchased 10 acres in an industrial park site off Andalusia Road in southwest Rock Island.
In a statement, Ben Kovler, founding principal for GTI, thanked Rauner's administration for their "thoughtful and thorough" review of the medical cannabis process.
GTI plans to invest $10 million at 8153 51st St. W., where a 44,000-square-foot cultivation center would generate between 30 and 35 jobs and potentially could employ 100 people in a 100,000-square-foot facility.
GTI also received permits to grow marijuana in Dixon and Oglesby and a license to sell it in Mundelein.
About 11,000 Illinois residents have begun the application process for patient cards, but only 600 have been approved.
Monday's announcement came a week after documents obtained by the Associated Press showed that former Gov. Pat Quinn's aides had prepared lists of businesses that were to receive lucrative medical marijuana licenses before he left office last month.
Stern and GTI appeared on the top-scoring lists of businesses that were to receive licenses in Illinois under Quinn's administration.
However, Rauner's general counsel, Jason Barclay, indicated in a statement that the Quinn administration's review of the applications had at times failed to comply with the law and the decision process would have likely resulted in litigation and it wouldn't have withstood judicial review.
While the state originally hoped registered patients would have access to medical cannabis this spring, the pilot program requires growing facilities to be functioning within six months.
Looking forward, Stern said he would prefer to purchase marijuana from GTI's warehouse, which will be located about eight miles from his dispensary, but noted his business will have the ability to buy product from any of the approved cultivation centers.
"We're just happy Gov. Rauner came to a quick decision," Stern said. "I was expecting another delay, but now it's another race."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Rock Island medical marijuana projects get Rauner's green light
Author: Jack Cullen
Contact: jcullen@qctimes.com
Photo Credit: Benjamin Rasmussen
Website: Quad-City Times: Quad Cities, IA/IL
