Downers Grove To Weigh In On Recreational Marijuana Sales

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - The Village of Downers Grove is considering allowing businesses to sell recreational marijuana within its limits, Mayor Bob Barnett said in a Facebook post Tuesday. Barnett wrote that residents had approached him with "questions and concerns" about the issue, about which he said the village is going to gather as much information as possible before deciding whether to allow and how to regulate recreational marijuana stores.

Recreational marijuana sales will go into effect statewide on Jan. 1, 2020. In the meantime, municipalities like Downers Grove can decide to opt out of or opt into permitting cannabis businesses. If the village allow recreational cannabis stores, it can tax those sales.

Barnett said that if the village gives the green light to recreational marijuana sales in Downers Grove, officials would then have to make decisions about how to tax the product. Zoning would be another factor to consider.

Downers Grove officials plan to hold meetings in September to address whether or not to allow recreational cannabis sales in the village and how to enact sales if approved.

In his Facebook post, Barnett also reminded residents, "The debate over whether marijuana should or should not be used by adults in Illinois is over and was never within the scope of the Village’s authority."

Communities surrounding Downers Grove, including Lisle, Naperville, and Wheaton, are also weighing the pros and cons of recreational cannabis sales.