Principal Expresses Opposition To Pot Shop Near Buffalo Grove High

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Jeff Wardle, principal of Buffalo Grove High School, said the school is seeing an uptick in students using products containing marijuana, including vapes, during the current semester. At Monday night's Buffalo Grove Village Board meeting, Wardle and others expressed their opposition to a proposed recreational marijuana dispensary at a location less than 1,000 feet from the school.

"It would be detrimental to our students' safety, to their wellness and to the learning environment we're trying hard to return to after COVID restrictions," Wardle said in addressing the board.

By a 3-2 vote, Buffalo Grove trustees approved sending an application by Emerald Earth LLC to the planning and zoning commission. Emerald Earth is proposing to turn a former Bank of America location at 1355 W. Dundee Road into a 7,000-square-foot shop that will sell cannabis and cannabis-related products.

Trustees Joanne Johnson, Gregory Pike and Eric Smith voted in favor of moving the proposal forward, while Andrew Stein and David Weidenfeld opposed it.

For the proposal to ultimately move forward, a 2019 Village Board-approved ordinance that allows recreational cannabis dispensaries in the village would need to be rewritten as it disallows such stores to be located less than 1,000 feet from a school. The Emerald Earth store would be located directly across the street from BGHS in the Plaza Verde West shopping center.

"These places are so regulated. The students are not getting anywhere near this place," said Smith, who is running unopposed for village president in next month's consolidated election.

The Village’s regulations allow for no more than two recreational cannabis dispensaries in the Village as a special use. Sunnyside opened the first at 830 Milwaukee Ave. in 2021.

"I was here when this board approved the parameters for cannabis dispensaries a few years ago and appreciated the more remote location from schools," said Wardle, expressing a disappointment that the Dundee Road location is even being considered.

Emerald Earth currently does not have a state license, but have indicated they will apply once the next round of licenses are ready to be issued by the State of Illinois. They have also indicated that they have the option to partner with a social equity license holder if they are unsuccessful in obtaining the state license.

A trio of students from Stevenson High School, members of a school group promoting drug-free lifestyles called Catalyst, expressed their opposition to the proposal.

"Allowing the dispensary in this location would not only have the detrimental effect of harming the health and well-being of our students, but it promotes an incentive and greater accessibility for students to access cannabis and cannabis products," said Kashyap Rajesh, a member of the club. "Studies have shown that when adolescents get access to cannabis, it can have negative effects on their cognitions function, memory and mental health as well."

According to the students, from a survey conducted at Stevenson last school year, one-third of students responding reported acquiring cannabis vapes from shops with comparable permits to the one being sought by Emerald Earth.

"Please remember, if this goes on to the planning and zoning commission, it does not mean this dispensary will open up in Buffalo Grove," said outgoing Village President Beverly Sussman prior to the vote. "It will then come back to the board to vote on again."