Dispensaries In Plainfield? Voters Can Offer Input In April's Election

PLAINFIELD, IL — In Chicago, cannabis sales are soaring. Further west in Plainfield, they're nonexistent.

That could change. During the final Village Board meeting of 2022 on Dec. 19, trustees and Mayor John Argoudelis unanimously voted to add an advisory question to the ballot for the April 4 Consolidated Election. It will read, "Shall the Village of Plainfield allow cannabis businesses to operate within the Village of Plainfield?"

It'll be up to voters to say yes or no. But whichever way the vote swings, it won't secure the fate of marijuana in Plainfield because the question is meant to provide insight and guidance on possible future ordinances or policies.

"The results of the referendum would be merely advisory in nature, and would not in and of themselves commit the Village to any course of action or preclude the Village from taking a particular course of action," documents show, noting the village can't take an official stance on the matter.

RELATED: Cannabis Sales Hit Record High For Illinois In 2022

The cannabis advisory question is the first of its kind the current Village Board voted to add to an election ballot. The only fees associated with adding it to the ballot are paid to the village attorney to draft and review a report.

When asked during the Village Board meeting what items could be added for future referendums versus what will stay in front of the Board, Argoudelis said they'll be "very limited" to questions pertaining to the community as a whole.

"We have a duty as elected representatives to analyze all the things on our agenda," he said. "Most of the things don't lend themselves very well to referendums. Housing developments, these kinds of things, these are very sophisticated things [with] lots of facts, lots of studies. ... You can't convey all that detailed information to the public."

Similarly to gaming, Argodelis said cannabis is a "general 'what do you want your community to look like' kind of idea."

"I'm not a big fan of referendums," Trustee Tom Ruane said, "but in this case, to me, it makes sense. ... I think this is one of those black and white things where it could go one way or the other, and I think in this case where it affects everyone, I'm actually looking forward to [seeing] what the public thinks on this."