Plainfield Likely To Ban Legal Marijuana Sales

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield appears poised to ban recreational marijuana facilities from opening in the village, with trustees signaling on Monday they did not support local pot sales. After hearing from trustees, Mayor Michael Collins asked village attorneys to draft an ordinance that would have Plainfield opt out of Illinois' new marijuana law.

State lawmakers this spring passed a law allowing for recreational marijuana in Illinois. Local municipalities can't opt out of making marijuana consumption and possession legal, but they can ban dispensaries from opening in their jurisdiction.

Plainfield on Monday held a workshop on the subject of allowing recreational marijuana dispensaries, with a majority of trustees saying they would not support dispensaries in town. Four of six trustees, and Mayor Collins, signaled they do not support dispensaries opening in Plainfield — and a few had some harsh words for state lawmakers.

"They're counterproductive to the things we've done to make the quality of life here," said Trustee Margie Bonuchi. "I want no part of this."

Trustee Cally Larson listed a number of issues she had with the new law, including insurance costs for small business located next to dispensaries and law enforcement's ability to police the law's new regulations.

"I've got issues across the board," she said.

Other trustees said they were against making marijuana legal in the first place.

"Why you would legalize this stuff is beyond me," Trustee Kevin Calkins said.

Trustee Brian Wojowski was the last local official to signal disapproval for local dispensaries. He said studies showing the local tax benefit of one dispensary — with a best case of about $41,000 — is not substantial enough for the problems it could bring.

Collins said that even state lawmakers don't have a firm grasp of the new law's effects. He asked village attorneys to draft up an ordinance opting out of local recreational marijuana sales, which will be taken up at a future board meeting.

"There's so many things that are going unanswered," he said.

Municipalities across Illinois are now considering whether to allow local marijuana sales. Neighboring municipalities like Bolingbrook and Naperville have opted out of the law. Joliet, meanwhile, will have one of the first recreational dispensaries. Oswego will hold a public hearingon the topic in October.