Chicago ordinance requires permits for pot shops

Chicago aldermen have approved an ordinance requiring medical marijuana retailers to obtain a special use permit before setting up a shop.

The city council passed the measure Wednesday. Alderman Edward Burke sponsored the ordinance. He tells the Chicago Sun-Times it gives Chicagoans a voice in the process because each permit will require a public hearing.

The state's new medical cannabis law bars marijuana dispensaries from locating within 1,000 feet of a school or day care. Dispensaries also can't be located in a house or apartment or in any area zoned for residential use.

Illinois will allow up to 13 dispensaries in Chicago.

The state Department of Agriculture is expected to grant 21 cultivation permits around the state later this year. Growers will sell to 60 state-approved dispensaries.