Buffalo Grove trustees sent a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this month looking to expedite having a company that currently sells medical marijuana get its state-issued license to sell recreational cannabis.
Following their virtual Village Board meeting Dec. 7, trustees signed and sent the letter to Pritzker urging swift approval of the application by Cresco Sunnyside to sell recreational cannabis out of its location at 830-840 Milwaukee Ave. in the northwest suburb.
“We are very concerned that the approval of Cresco’s Buffalo Grove adult-use license has been held up for so long with no apparent resolution in sight,” reads part of the letter dated Dec. 8 and signed by six trustees and Village President Beverly Sussman.
The letter went on to state that Cresco’s application related to Buffalo Grove has been pending for nearly a year, though in the meantime the state granted Cresco licenses for recreational cannabis sales in other nearby communities.
Trustees wrote that the long delay is costing both the village of Buffalo Grove and the state “huge sums of tax revenues.”
However, the village’s effort to help Cresco was based on more than lost tax revenue, according to Deputy Village Manager Christopher Stilling.
“They have a great track record,” Stilling told Pioneer Press.
The company, with a license for medical marijuana, has been operating in the village for about five years. The village helped Cresco move from an earlier location in town that had both space and parking limitations to the Milwaukee Avenue location which is better suited to recreational marijuana sales.
Stilling said Cresco has worked diligently to push through the state logjam in approving its license application.
“Cresco feels they’ve done everything they can do to get this going,” Stilling said.
Both Stilling and Cresco believe the state shouldn’t hold up license approval simply because the company moved from one location in Buffalo Grove to another.
Stilling said Cresco has worked diligently to work through the state logjam in approving its license application. “Cresco feels they’ve done everything they can do to get this going,” Stilling said.
“We share Buffalo Grove’s frustration over the misinterpretation of cannabis stores being able to move and be licensed for adult use sales,” Cresco Labs spokesman Jason Erkes told Pioneer Press in an emailed statement.
“Municipalities like Buffalo Grove opted in to have cannabis stores in their communities and to be able to benefit from the tax revenue. Right now, both the state and local municipalities are being short-changed when they are all facing financial challenges over the inability of a retail store moving down the street.”
Stilling said the letter has been received by Pritzker’s office and village officials are looking forward to a reply. He said they are also hoping for fast action on Cresco’s application.
In the meantime, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh told Pioneer Press that what Buffalo Grove is asking for “requires a legislative change.”
“Under the current law, medical dispensaries are not able to move locations. The General Assembly will have to address this during the legislative session if they agree this is a needed change in the law,” she said.
Graydon Megan is a freelancer.