Potential Eleven New Cannabis Dispensaries Coming to Chicago’s West and Southwest Zones.
Zoning Board of Appeals chairman, Farzin Parang, picks names of businesses from a golden bingo drum to grant initial recreational cannabis dispensary licenses for the city of Chicago. Photo by Abel Rodriguez
CHICAGO -The Department of Permits and Development drew names from a golden bingo drum to grant licenses to businesses that would allow them to sell recreational marijuana after Jan. 1, 2020 earlier this morning. A total of 48 initial dispensary licenses were up for grabs, but due to existing medical cannabis dispensaries in the West and Southwest neighborhoods only 11 licenses were available to businesses wanting to operate a dispensary in those districts.
In early October, Mayor Lori Lightfoot along with the city council finalized the selling districts along with the exclusion zones where cannabis will not be allowed to be sold. The West selling district begins at Division St. and moves southward until I-55 and is cut of eastward by the Kennedy Expressway. The West region includes neighborhoods like: Austin, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, North Lawndale, Pilson and Little Village. The Southwest selling district includes McKinley Park, Bridgeport, Englewood, West Lawn and Back of the Yards neighborhoods. It runs parallel to the Dan Ryan Expressway and ends at 87th St.
Map produced by the City Government depicting the seven marijuana selling districts throughout the city and the exclusion zone near downtown.
In the West district Acreage Holding LLC, Dispensary 33, Herbal Care Center, 3C Compassionate Care Center, New Moon Chicago and Windy City Chi will operate recreational cannabis dispensaries.
In the Southwest district New Age Care, EarthMed LLC, Greenhouse Group, Clinic Manaline and Seven Point will operate dispensaries after Jan. 1.
None of the businesses who won the lottery for licenses in the West and Southwest districts were available for comment.
Medical marijuana dispensaries already established throughout the city will be allowed to sell recreational marijuana if they met all city requirements at the start of 2020. Requirements include: notifying businesses within 250 ft. from their property and filling the correct paperwork with the Zoning Board of Appeals. There is one existing medical dispensary in the West district and two in the Southwest district.
According to sources, the cap of seven licenses per district might be raised to 14 licenses per district come May 1, 2020.