COLLINSVILLE — A Collinsville medical marijuana dispensary is one of the first in the state to receive a permit allowing recreational marijuana sales alongside its medical cannabis products.
The state announced Tuesday that HCI Alternatives at 1014 Eastport Plaza Drive was awarded a “same-site” adult-use cannabis license.
Same-site licenses allow dispensaries that currently provide medical marijuana to sell recreational marijuana as well.
The Collinsville site is one of 29 medical dispensaries awarded state permits on Tuesday.
Recreational marijuana sales become legal in the state of Illinois on Jan. 1.
The Madison County Board recently voted against allowing sales of recreational marijuana in unincorporated areas of the county. State law says municipalities can decide whether they’ll allow cannabis businesses to operate within city limits.
Collinsville City Council this week finalized the approval of zoning laws that will allow the recreational marijuana businesses to operate in designated areas.
Some towns in the Metro East have said they won’t allow recreational marijuana sales once legalization goes into effect, while a handful, including neighboring Edwardsville, will allow the newly legalized drug to be sold and taxed.
Illinois’ new law allows anyone 21 or older to consume cannabis privately. Municipalities have the right to prohibit legal sales and other facets of the marijuana business, like processing, transporting or growing cannabis.
Just this week, the St. Clair County Board set in place a rulebook for cannabis-related businesses that plan to operate in the area. To do so, business owners must earn a special use permit from the county zoning board.
Kavahn Mansouri is a reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
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