La Grange President Tom Livingston broke a 3-3 tie Monday night with his vote to prohibit recreational cannabis businesses and cannabis use in public places.
“This is an easy call,” Livingston said before the vote. “For me it’s not even close.”
The Village Board was split evenly, with Bill Holder, Mark Kotynek and David McArty voting against allowing cannabis, or marijuana, sales, while Beth Augustine, Lou Gale and Mark Kuchlar supported allowing dispensaries.
Under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act signed by Gov. J. B. Pritzker in June, recreational marijuana will become legal in certain circumstances beginning Jan. 1, but municipalities have the option of prohibiting or regulating sales.
The ordinance does not prohibit a medical marijuana dispensary, which the village added as a special use in 2014.
The auditorium in the Village Hall was almost empty before the vote and no residents spoke on the issue, with only a couple on hand to hear board member’s comments.
“This is something that generated a lot of communication,” Livingston said.
He also noted that some provisions in the state law, addressing social justice and criminal justice reform, were positive steps.
But he stressed caution, saying that prohibiting recreational sales was the right thing for La Grange at this time.
Holder stressed that his research had indicated that states that did legalize recreational cannabis had seen declining sales and declining tax revenue.
“The business itself is kind of rocky,” he said.
He also noted that his correspondence from residents on the issue ran 9 to 1 against allowing sales.
“We can always change the ordinance,” he said.
McCarty said he didn’t see benefits that would come with allowing sales, contrasting it with restaurants that sold alcohol to enhance their food business.
“I don’t think as a village we could agree on what an appropriate place is,” he said.
Gale and Kuchlar argued that cannabis sales could be regulated, Kuchlar saying he favored regulation over prohibition.
“I think this is something we could regulate and fit within La Grange,” Gale said.
Beth Augustine compared the issue to the recent decision by the board to deny video gaming.
“This has much more support,” she said, “and it cuts across all ages and demographics.”
Augustine did note that if the village did decide to legalize in the future there would be challenges.
“Where would this go and where would we want them to go?” she asked.
After the vote, Gale suggested that the board revisit the issue in a year’s time, when other municipalities had some experience with legalization.
Livingston agreed.
“We will continue to keep our eyes open and evaluate the issue,” he said.
Augustine warned that whatever the realities of tax revenues from allowing sales turn out to be, revenue was still key to the village’s future.
“We need to continue to increase revenue every year,” she said.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter.
