Potential Marijuana Dispensary Changing Urbana Location

One of the partners seeking to locate a medical marijuana dispensary in Urbana expects it to have the look and feel of any other retail location, but it won’t open up in one busy downtown location.

With the Urbana City Council’s passage this week of zoning regulations for those facilities growing or dispensing marijuana, David Brodsky and his three colleagues now must wait for the state to issue a license.

Brodsky said based on Monday’s council feedback, they’ve ruled out using the former Corkscrew Wine Emporium location on Vine Street.

"We have abandoned our efforts to go after that building, and have found a similar location that’s close by, but is a little more discreet and not as large either," he said.  "We wanted to be responsive to the community – and show not only we want to be good community partners, but that we do care what the community thinks.”

That new possible site hasn't been disclosed.  Brodsky said his group expects to receive its license from Illinois' Department of Professional Regulation by early 2015, and could be in operation by summer.

The Colorado-based Brodsky said Urbana made sense for his team, since the other members are from the area, including a pharmacist based in Danville.

Illinois’ new medical marijuana law dictates a separately operated cultivation center to grow the plant.  Brodsky says one possible site is in Danville.  That city’s planning and zoning commission holds a talk on zoning for such facilities Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Champaign City Council may soon hold its own study session on zoning for medical marijuana facilities.  Zoning Administrator Kevin Phillips says there’s been some talk about limiting where they can locate in the city.