At last
week’s Wayne County Board meeting, a board member asked if the county could opt
out of the state’s new marijuana law….keeping the county free of pot sales. State’s
Attorney Kevin Kakac said he would research the question.
Monday
night, the Mt. Vernon City Council voted 4-1 to allow marijuana sales in town.
The Mayor said once the Illinois law changes in January, there was no point to
ban sales. And it could bring in revenue.
If you
listen to these commentaries, you know I was against the Governor’s proposal to
bring recreational pot to Illinois. Getting toasted does not improve your life. I don’t like the thought of sales in the
county but I am really less enthused about the opening of a dispensary in
downtown Fairfield.
There will
be some who will liken this to pre-1973 Fairfield prior to alcohol sales in the
city. People got booze, they just had to travel to Piopolis and Mt. Vernon. I
understand that and also understand that the state legislature has spoken.
Recreational pot is totally legal despite the fact that authorities can’t
measure its strength in the blood of an incapacitated driver.
I just find
it difficult to imagine a local mom and pop pot store on West Delaware where
kids can walk by and see it is an accepted social vice, being dispensed in
baggies to their neighbors. A sale on Maui Wowie in the window.
Do I want to
see a dispensary out my front door? As a member of the Chamber of Commerce?
Selling brownies at Fall Fun Fest? No. I find the thought detestable. But I
also know the banning of marijuana sales in the city or the county would be
largely symbolic.
In this
case, the state legislature spoke…and we will surely reap what our leaders have
sown.
I can understand your reticence and I agree with what you said about how getting high doesn't actually improve anyone's lives. The same is true for drinking. With time, the stigma surrounding cannabis will fade and it will be on the same level as alcohol, which causes far more deaths and other incidents. At the very least, we'd probably see some revenue raised for a city that needs it.
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ReplyDeleteLook at it from a completely economical sense. There are no other businesses clamoring to enter our community. Which means there are no other individuals moving in. Albion welcomed the grow facility that we some how fumbled away. That center created jobs and is now discussing expansion of jobs because of the new bill. All while Fairfield continues to add empty store fronts on main street and empty Airtex buildings to its resume. We are undefeated in business musical chairs. It's time we dropped the fear tactics and looked at the economics of dismissing a growing industry in our community. Or maybe the people here enjoy increasing their tax burden and sending jobs and businesses to surrounding communities? Our community is dying. If it was a person we would have already called hospice. We don't have to agree with the vice to support the idea of its economic potential.
ReplyDeleteDo people drink. In there any alcohol store that kids can walk by. Oh and is there any public gathering reastruarts that serve alcohol in front of kids making it accepted. Well that alcohol that was served with dinner puts the same kids at risk, or possible get hit by a dui driver. But that's all accept by society. If people would stop and think this is not the end of the world it's socially excepted and if that is so why not let tax dollars on it sold go in to the community. Just my thought
ReplyDeleteAs a Medical Cannabis Patient I dont know if I agree with recreational. If it makes the rice of my medicine go down I'm all for it. It's also gonna be nice to not have to drive a hour to Harrisburg to fill my prescriptions.
ReplyDeleteUmm, do you not think there is pot being sold on the corner … EVERYWHERE, anyway? Get a grip and face reality.
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