By Madhu Mayer
A former home of a popular restaurant could become the second location for a marijuana dispensary in Joliet.
A special use permit hearing to allow an adult use cannabis dispensary will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the City Hall Council Chambers,150 W. Jefferson St. If approved by the city’s zoning board, the dispensary will open in the former home of Bakers Square restaurant at 2211 W. Jefferson St., Joliet. It will become the second marijuana dispensary in Joliet since Rise opened near the Louis Joliet Mall in 2020.
Rise, operated by Green Thumb Industries, also operates a medical marijuana dispensary at 1627 Rock Creek Blvd. It offers recreational and medicinal marijuana products.
The City of Joliet and the county collect a 3 percent tax from the sales of recreational cannabis. The exact amount is not known as state law prohibits disclosure of sales tax revenue from individual stores.
Carlinda Frankfort of Joliet said she is not against marijuana dispensaries, but hopes the city uses tax dollars toward programs and services for residents in low-income neighborhoods.
“Selling and using weed is legal in our state, so I see no problem with having stores in our area,” said Frankfort, 40. “I would rather have our residents spend their money here than go to nearby towns.”
Illinois has collected more than $400 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales in 2021, reported by the Illinois Department of Revenue. The state disburses portions of their cannabis tax revenue to counties across the state, Will County, so far, has close to $2 million in a special fund but it has not been determined how the funds will be spent.
According to state data, Illinois generated almost $100 million more in tax revenue from adult-use marijuana sales than from alcohol in 2021.
Madhu Mayer, reporter – mmayer@thetimesweekly.com
