Recreational Pot In Oak Forest To Be Discussed At Public Hearing

OAK FOREST, IL — Recreational marijuana dispensaries could soon open in Oak Forest, but city officials are first seeking to outline the specific areas in town where they'd be allowed. City residents are encouraged to attend a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at City Hall Council Chambers, 15540 S. Central Ave. as the Oak Forest Planning and Zoning Commission will consider zoning regulations for these facilities.

The city of Oak Forest has already been approached by multiple businesses with interest in applying for state licenses to operate dispensaries here, according to a news release from the city. Wednesday's meeting could go a long way in determining where in the city they could locate.

There will be time for public comment at the meeting and materials will be available for the public, Oak Forest Community Planner Paul Ruane said.

Nearby, Orland Park has already banned recreational marijuana facilities while Tinley Park seems primed to approve them.

The new Illinois recreational cannabis law permits marijuana to be sold to anyone over the age of 21 and consumed in private homes and businesses in January. Marijuana will be available over the counter to more than 12 million people in Illinois, and will be taxed at a sliding scale, depending on the level of the active psychoactive ingredient THC in the product sold. Limitations apply on how much can be consumed, who can consume it, and where it can be consumed. The law also prohibits possessing cannabis near a school bus, a school, a correctional facility or in a vehicle if it's not "reasonably secured" and "reasonably inaccessible" while moving, or in a home used for child or social service care.

Read: Illinois Legal Weed: Who Can Buy, Sell, Use Marijuana Next Year?