Politics & Government

Deerfield Residents Divided on Marijuana Dispensary Question

Pharmacists have expressed interest in opening a medical marijuana facility in the village.

Deerfield Patch readers have strong opinions on the question of whether they want to see a medical marijuana dispensary open in the village.

The village board heard from a trio of pharmacists last week who have expressed interest in opening a facility, which is now legal under a new Illinois law. Three dispensaries will be allowed to operate in Lake County.

Patch readers responded with strong opinions on both sides of the debate. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say. You can read the full list of comments here.

Find out what's happening in Deerfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

joel kogen wrote:

“I believe this is a bad ideal We all ready have teen abusing drug And it very hard all ready for the Police to prevent drug use and enforcement Plus this would bring major gangs activity To our community We have an increase in Home and auto burglary in are town.”

Find out what's happening in Deerfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

DeerfieldResident wrote:

“Let's not confuse medical marijuana, which has multiple valid uses, with teen drug use. Trust me, if your teenager wants weed, he/she can get it quite easily. If you're concerned about teenage drug use, focus more on what's killing kids ... heroin. Know how they are getting into that drug? Prescription opiates that are dispensed by pharamacies like Walgreen's. Are you ready to shut down the pharmacy too?”

Kelli Kobor wrote:

“As the parent of two teenagers currently attending DHS, allowing a legal pot shop in the village would send an appalling message to our young people. And yes, I know you must be 18+ and have a prescription to buy their product, but let's not kid ourselves. Washington and Colorado both used medical marijuana laws to open the door to recreational sales, which are now being openly discussed in every state that has them (including IL). What opens as a "medical dispensary" this year will retool as a full-blown weed Walmart in a few years.”

A Deer in a Field wrote:

“This is a great idea - it helps people who need it, and is much safer than many pharmaceuticals. Also, it needs to be stated, whatever your opinion on the law, it is now legal with a prescription, so why not here? And local business should note - the seniors and infirm who visit this business will bring with them considerable buying power that could be a boon to the local economy. I cannot envision a good reason to deny this other than fears based on faulty data and misinformation.” 

Jon Hall wrote, “There is no chance this will ever come to pass.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here