Galesburg Approves Marijuana Dispensary Site

The bill allowing for the sale and recreational use of marijuana in Illinois was touted as a great way to provide opportunities for investment and economic growth to local communities. In 2020 that assertion will be put to the test in Galesburg. On September 3rd, the Galesburg City Council voted 6 to 1 to allow the Nature’s Treatment Dispensary company, based in Milan, Illinois, to open a store selling recreational marijuana in Galesburg in a site that was formerly a grocery store. This marijuana dispensary will be the first in Knox county, and among the first in Western Illinois. Nature’s Treatment Dispensary claims that they are planning on hiring about 25 people for when it opens January 1st, 2020.

There was some controversy over the Galesburg City Council’s decision to allow the dispensary to set up shop in Galesburg. Some local citizens expressed their dislike for a dispensary opening up in their backyards and said that they would continue to fight against the decision on the local level. Others made mention of the fact that they would rather see a new grocery store open up in the site as they feel that such a business would be much more beneficial to the local community. Still others supported the decision and felt that it was a move in the right direction for the city as having a legal and regulated dispensary will likely lead to an increase in revenue for the city as well as a decrease in local illegal use of marijuana. Whether the opening of the dispensary will be a net positive or negative for the city is uncertain, and the outcome will certainly be closely watched by interests both local and those from afar.

Joseph Doner - Political Editor