New Lenox To Consider Revisiting Recreational Cannabis Stance

NEW LENOX, IL — High times could be on the horizon for residents in New Lenox. The New Lenox Board of Trustees Council of the Whole is scheduled to discuss recreational cannabis at its Monday meeting, according to a copy of the agenda for the meeting. The discussion could be the first step in revisiting the Village's prohibition on recreational cannabis sales within the village.

The Village of New Lenox Board of Trustees voted 5-2 in October 2019 to prohibit recreational cannabis sales in the village. New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann said in September of that year that "I don't judge anyone that will choose to legally partake in recreational marijuana, I just don't believe a recreational facility makes sense in our town."

He added that the Village "runs very efficiently and sees plenty of tax revenue," and that approving recreational cannabis sales just for tax revenue was not an appropriate direction to go in for the village.

But now?

"It was a new thing [in 2019] and we wanted to see how it goes. We wanted to see in the communities that did it if they had any issues," Baldermann said. "Now, it's been two years and we've been approached by a couple of different license holders, and so we're going to have the discussion again as a board to see if that's something we want to revisit."

Baldermann said that the Council of the Whole discussion would only be the first step in bringing the issue back before the full Village Board of Trustees. If the Council of the Whole decides the issue is worth revisiting, then the council would recommend bringing it to the full Board of Trustees, Baldermann said. From there, the normal processes of having public hearings and readings of any proposed changes in policy would need to take place before any final action would be taken, Baldermann said.

The Council of the Whole meeting, as with all governmental meetings, is open to the public. There will be time allotted for public comment, but residents should be clear that Monday's meeting is not an official public hearing, Baldermann said.

The Council of the Whole meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at New Lenox Village Hall, 1 Veterans Parkway.

For more information and to view the agenda online, visit the Village of New Lenox website.

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