LaGrange Limits Medical Marijuana Dispensary Location to Industrial Area

Don’t count on a medical marijuana dispensary coming to LaGrange anytime in the near future.

The LaGrange Village Board voted Monday to tighten restrictions limiting where a possible medical marijuana dispensary can locate within the village, the Doings reported.

It was originally proposed to locate a dispensary in the commercial general service district, but not the village’s downtown business district along LaGrange Road. Instead, village trustees voted to locate a medical marijuana district in LaGrange’s light industrial area.

Such a dispensary would also be required to seek a special use permit and public hearing.

Tanya Griffin of Western Springs, who said she represents a group of local doctors and pharmacists, had originally proposed to locate a medical marijuana dispensary in a vacant property at 120 E. Burlington Ave., the Doings said.

“It’s essentially a vote that says ‘not in my town,’” Griffin told the paper.

The vote was in reaction to new state law for a pilot program allowing 22 marijuana cultivation centers and 60 dispensaries for patients with certain medical conditions. One dispensary is permitted for the area covering Lyons, Lemont and Palos townships.

Lyons Township High School senior Andrew Lipchik stated: “I think the dispensaries should be allowed if we’re talking about having a healthy community to promote all different situations and ideologies.”

Trustees were divided on overturning the village plan commission’s recommendation to allow a dispensary in the commercial district.

Saying it was conceivable that the state would allow the sale of recreational marijuana from dispensaries in the future, Trustee Jeffrey Nowak was opposed to the idea.

“Chicago Magazine’s headline one year is that La Grange is one of the best places to live and a few years down the road we could be known as one of the best places to buy weed,” Nowak said.

Trustee Dave McCarthy disagreed with overturning the Plan Commission’s recommendation, saying the tougher restrictions were insensitive to those needing medical marijuana the Doings reported.

“It’s a slap in the face to make people go to the industrial areas.”

Via LaGrange Doings