Vernon Hills among next towns to consider recreational pot ban

Vernon Hills trustees Tuesday will vote on an ordinance prohibiting the sale of recreational cannabis in town.

Trustees at their Oct. 15 meeting unanimously agreed to direct the staff to prepare the measure that effectively would have the village opting out of a state law allowing those sales effective Jan. 1.

Indications are the board will approve that directive. That's based in part on comments received during a special committee of the whole meeting Sept. 24 at Vernon Hills High School at which an overwhelming majority of the 61 people who spoke were against allowing businesses that sell recreational marijuana to operate in the village.

"The board decided they heard from hundreds of people and they know what they wanted to do and directed staff to prepare the ordinance," said Village Manager Mark Fleischhauer.

The production, sale and use of recreational marijuana for those 21 and older will be legal in Illinois beginning Jan. 1.

Communities that approve sales can impose an additional 3% sales tax, but some towns have decided the predicted revenues would not be worth the potential problems and related costs.

Tower Lakes, Lake Zurich, Barrington, Long Grove, Mettawa, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Bannockburn, Libertyville and Grayslake have banned sales. Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, North Chicago, Wadsworth, Zion and Winthrop Harbor have approved sales, while other communities have not decided.

Vernon Hills was among towns that asked state officials in advance of the law's being signed in June to slow down the process.

"The concern is this has been pushed upon us very quickly," Fleischhauer said. "I think a lot of boards want to say, 'Wait a minute, let's see how this goes and what issues come up.'"