East Peoria expands recreational cannabis dispensary permits for new store

A recent change to the East Peoria City Code expands the number of cannabis dispensaries from two to three.

The East Peoria City Council passed the ordinance Tuesday during its regular meeting. The council also approved a conditional use permit for MRE East Peoria LLC to set up and operate a recreational cannabis dispensary at 406 W. Camp St.

“When we first started out with recreational dispensaries, we looked at managing those licenses,” said East Peoria Planning and Development Director Ty Livingston. “It was very similar to what we do with liquor licenses. We had a set number and it was based on the approvals that we had so far. So there were two.”

The conditional use permits previously approved for cannabis dispensaries were to NuEra East Peoria at 504 Riverside Drive and to Roy Sorce, the owner of Sorce Enterprises, whose dispensary at 300 S. Main St. is still under construction.

Because MRE East Peoria is moving into a building that only needs minor renovations, and because the firm is already licensed to operate a recreational cannabis facility, Livingston believes the new store can open by early 2023.

“We have a vacant structure, and it's really a very nice building,” he added. “But it’s vacant. It provides a business opportunity. Certainly the city has the opportunity to derive sales tax from the operation of cannabis dispensaries. It’s a piece that brings people to the community. We’re hopeful that they would not only stop at the dispensary, but also stop at a restaurant or stop at some of our other retail establishments.”

When Illinois legalized recreational cannabis in 2019, Livingston indicated that city officials received some pushback from residents who were concerned that a dispensary in East Peoria would attract undesirable persons to the community. He added that he has noticed no increase in police calls near NuEra, which is the city’s only operating dispensary.

“These operations are highly regulated by the state,” Livingston said. “They have to keep a very high level of conduct. Customers who come to these places are also looking to follow the law and do things the right way, and I think that’s really important.”

This article originally appeared on Pekin Daily Times: East Peoria expands recreational cannabis dispensary permits