Joliet OKs Two Medical Marijuana Growing Centers

The Joliet City Council on Tuesday approved two medical cannabis cultivation facilities.

The first proposal, from Agricare LLC., will bring a cultivation center to 2800 Schweitzer Rd. near the Leisure Hours outdoor hobbyist racetracks.

Agricare will initially move into an existing 16,000-square-foot building but has plans to eventually build a new 107,000-square-foot facility. The facility will have security fencing, cameras and monitoring systems, as well as security guards on duty 24/7. Twice a week, the center’s products would be taken to medical marijuana dispensaries in Illinois via armored car.

Two Schweitzer Road residents attended the Tuesday night meeting, voicing concerns about potential crime, as well as possible odors and truck traffic related to the operation. One resident also had concerns about who would inspect the facility and how often it would be inspected.

“The neighbors don’t even know about this, there was no warning,” resident Judy Kreiser said.

“This is a health hazard,” area resident Kathy Garthus told the board, saying the smell of marijuana makes her ill. She also worried about potential gang activity related to the facility. “I hope and pray you guys will think about the people who still live here,” Garthus said.

According to a memo from City Manager Jim Hock, the operation will be conducted in the enclosed, locked facility and would not product any noise or air pollution.

A second proposal from Cresco Labs was also approved by the council. That facility is slated to be located at 23224 CenterPoint Way. The board voted to annex 11.5 acres in unincorporated Will County for the project, as well as approving a special use permit for the facility.

According to city documents, the site currently contains a mobile home. The rest of the parcel is undeveloped and contains a large, tree-lined area.

Cresco plans to build a 37,600-square-foot growing facility, along with a parking lot accommodating 42 vehicles and a storm detention pond. A 34,200-square-foot addition could be added to the site in the future, according to city documents.

The site’s security plan includes a secure perimeter, exterior lighting, limited fortified entry points, interior loading and unloading, restricted access area separation, secure vault storage, biometric access control, video surveillance, alarm monitoring, power and cellular backup and remote monitoring.

Cresco’s proposal refers to the operation as low intensity, saying it will not produce noise or air pollution. The manufacturer will produce capsules, sublingual tinctures, strips, sprays, topical products and pre-filled vaporizers, but no baked products.

In July, the city council approved a medical marijuana dispensary to be located in the Rock Run Business Park.