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A second cannabis dispensary may be coming to Macon County. It should be in Decatur
Residents of Decatur have waited over 4 years since adult-use cannabis was legalized in Illinois for a cannabis dispensary in the city. Nearby Harristown has one and both Forsyth and Mt. Zion are considering it. Given the likelihood that the largest share of customers to a dispensary are Decatur residents, the cannabis dispensary should be in the city rather than outside it.
It is unclear what the arguments are for requiring our citizens to drive out to Harristown, Forsyth, or Mt. Zion to purchase a legal product whether for recreational or medical use. The city is simply losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue each year to nearby municipalities and inconveniencing its citizens. Furthermore, whatever the negative consequences to these legal sales may be, they will be in Decatur where the cannabis is used as opposed to the location where the cannabis is sold. As one example, I am concerned about the adverse effects of elevated THC levels in some cannabis products. However, whether the product is sold in Harristown, Forsyth, Mt. Zion, or Decatur, the product will have the same negative impact to the Decatur resident.
The city council should reverse its decision prohibiting dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses soon. Since adult-use cannabis has been legalized over four years ago, the Decatur City Council has taken only one formal vote on whether to allow dispensaries, and only one council member (yours truly) has ever formally voted yes for a dispensary in the city. Meanwhile, residents of our city have long supported having a dispensary. On March 17, 2020, residents of Decatur Township (which comprises ~70% of Decatur residents) voted in an advisory referendum on whether the city should allow the sale of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to individuals over 21. There were 5,382 ballots cast with 62% voting yes and 38% voting no.
It is unclear why the Decatur City Council would allow millions of dollars of revenue to be lost to adjacent municipalities when the city is facing financial challenges. For example, the 2024 budget calls for using $2,061,540 in water and sewer funds to pay for public safety pension obligations (known as PILOTs – payments in lieu of taxes). In other words, when citizens pay their water bills, a portion of that bill is not going to water projects, but to pay obligations historically paid through property taxes.
The city originally estimated the annual revenue from sales of cannabis products at $206,000 - $360,000. Estimates of annual revenue from a dispensary are now over $500,000 per year. While this new revenue cannot offset our budgetary challenges entirely, it can be used to help fund the city's priorities such as neighborhood revitalization and/or assist in providing public services such as police and fire protection. A cannabis dispensary and other cannabis-related businesses will bring a new and needed source of revenue and jobs to the city. Other municipalities have already taken advantage of this economic development opportunity, how much longer will Decatur City Council members remain idle?