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Plan for Marijuana Facility Goes Up In Smoke

Wiki Commons

A medical marijuana cultivation center will not be built in McDonough County.

“From what the group led me to believe, it would have been an investment of upwards of $400,000 just in the application process alone,” said county board member Dick Marcott about the group that proposed the facility.  The group decided that was too much of an investment for a project that might not receive state approval.

The state’s application instructionsare strict, right down to the font size that must be used. Marcott said the local group simply felt it was late getting into the game.

“They would’ve had to have a security plan. They would’ve had to have an architectural plan okayed by an architect. $25,000 just for the application, non-refundable.”

The group had asked the county board for a vote of support, which would have given a boost to its application.  But it canceled a scheduled appearance before the full board this week.

The deadline for groups to submit their applications and payments is Monday, September 22, 3:00 pm.

The state will allow up to 22 cultivation centers – one per Illinois State Police district.

Marcott said he supports medical marijuana. He said the benefits far exceed any risks. And he said the cultivation center would have brought in 20 to 30 jobs so he’s disappointed the plans fell through.

“I think they would have brought some money into the community,” he said.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.