Wauconda considering medical marijuana delay
The sale and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes will be allowed in Illinois starting in January, but Wauconda officials are considering delaying permits for businesses that would seek to sell the drug.
The village board could vote later this month to enact a three-month moratorium on such businesses, which would extend past the statewide launch.
The issue, Wauconda Planning and Zoning Director Chris Miller told board members Tuesday evening, is where the businesses should be allowed to operate.
Wauconda hasn't adopted regulations and zoning rules for the businesses yet. A task force of municipal leaders from around Lake County is developing a model ordinance that could be adopted by any town, Miller said.
The goal, Miller said, is to ensure communities have consistent definitions in their zoning rules for marijuana dispensaries, Miller said.
That document could be ready for local review in December, Miller said.
Miller talked about the process during a joint meeting of the village's economic development committee and the building and zoning committee. Committee members took no action on the issue.
Under the state law, which was approved earlier this year, villages and cities will be allowed to regulate where marijuana dispensaries can operate. The rules must be reasonable, however.
“That's part of the challenge that we're faced with, establishing what is reasonable,” Miller said.
Trustees could vote on a moratorium when they meet Nov. 26, Miller said.