Rejected by Palatine, medical marijuana facility tries Rolling Meadows

A medical marijuana dispensary that was licensed by the state but denied in Palatine is now looking to open in Rolling Meadows instead.

Representatives from Nature's Care presented their proposal to open a dispensary at 975 Rohlwing Road to the Rolling Meadows city council Tuesday night and described how security, finances and sales would work if they receive approval.

Attorneys for Nature's Care said they filed a lawsuit against Palatine last week because of its denial of their proposal but are not planning to pursue the suit once Rolling Meadows approves the facility. In a straw poll taken on Tuesday, the majority of the council approved Nature's Care moving forward.

“We're almost under the gun,” Alderman Brad Judd said. “You've filed suit against Palatine. We're kind of in the same boat that if we don't do something, we're going to get a suit filed against us.”

But petitioners said they are not trying to pit Palatine against Rolling Meadows.

“We are really happy to be here,” said Nature's Care partner Mitch Meyers. “Having seen this building and location, it's a much better situation for patients, for access, for us in terms of getting the building renovated. We couldn't be happier.”

The Rolling Meadows location is the same spot where aldermen had approved a different medical marijuana dispensary, but Nature's Care was the one facility chosen by Gov. Bruce Rauner for the area.

Nature's Care has a pending application with the plan commission and will appear before it on April 7. If approved, the firm will come back for final approval from the city council on May 12. If it receives a special use permit from Rolling Meadows, Nature's Care plans to renovate the building over the summer and be open for patient sales by Sept. 1.

Meyers said all patients will be met in counseling offices and no marijuana product will be on display at the dispensary. Nature's Care will sell cannabis in died bud form, oils, tablets, edible items and drinks, topical creams, sprays and patches, Meyers said. She said the staff will wear white lab coats and the office will have a medical look.

“You're going to be helping people who are suffering from debilitating diseases without forcing them into the black market,” she said.

Meyers assured Rolling Meadows aldermen of the strict security procedures in place for Nature's Care, including that police will be able to tap into its security cameras at any time.

Only card carrying medical marijuana patients and approved caregivers will be allowed in the facility or on the website.

Nature's Care will be working with Bank of Springfield to process transactions and will allow customers to pay by debit or credit card to reduce the amount of cash on the premises, Meyers said.

Meyers said she expects to have 400 customers before the end of this year and 1,000 next year.