PEORIA, Ill. – The Peoria City Council still doesn’t want cannabis dispensaries within 1,500 feet of each other, but they’re trying to help a group of potential applicants out at the same time.
The council has moved forward adding to its dispensary ordinance provisions for the so-called “social equity applicants” that are now being awarded by the state.
“We want to make sure that those who have the social equity designation are living up to the true spirit of why that was created in the first place at the state level,” said Council Member Andre Allen, Dist. 4.
Allen are concerned that some social equity applicants may end up selling their businesses, causing locations to be in violation.
“We have some concern that a social equity applicant could originally be sited, perhaps have their membership interest sold off to another corporation or another set of individuals, and therefore end up having two businesses located within 1,500 feet,” said Chrissie Kapustka, Corporation Counsel. “That wasn’t originally the intent of what the state passed.”
The Peoria City Council Tuesday approved on First Reading language in the city’s cannabis ordinance adding the social equity designation. A final vote on adding social equity applicants comes in a couple weeks.
