Tensions Rise During Neighborhood Meeting on Medical Marijuana Dispensary
“We don’t want it!” “We don’t it!” We don’t want it!”
That is what nearly 100 members of the Eight Ward Accountability Coalition (EWAC), a neighborhood organization, angrily chanted during a recent community meeting in protest of a proposed opening of a medical marijuana dispensary in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood.
The group’s mantra interrupted advocates of the dispensary who tried to speak during the meeting, including, Melinda Kelly, Executive Directive of the Chatham Business Association (CBA).
“We have to ensure facts are provided that will allow you as community members to make informed educated decisions,” Kelly said to the group.
But Kelly’s diplomacy fell on deaf ears--partially because attendees were already riled up and irritated about the fact that eighth ward Ald. Michelle Harris did not attend the meeting. The Alderman opted to send a message to the group via staff member, Deborah Stanley.
“It is my understanding that all the public officials involved in this issue were invited at the city and state levels, including Ald. Harris and I have no idea why she did not attend,” said Marcel Bright, a concerned resident who attended the meeting. “She definitely needs to pay closer attention to the residents of the 8th Ward and she also needs to explain her positions as to why she seems to be in approval of this dispensary coming to our neighborhood.”
Alderman Harris replied by saying, “They [EWAC] picked the date and just said we want you to come. For two weeks I have known about a memorial service on that date for a member of my political organization whom I have known for 40 years, and so I expressed to EWAC, when you’ve known someone all of your political life it is hard not to attend their memorial service.”
Ald. Harris said that just about every other elected official involved in the Chatham medical marijuana dispensary project were also at the memorial service.
But residents were not only angry about Ald. Harris’ lack of attendance; they also conveyed disappointment about the fact that she has yet to hold a community meeting on the medical marijuana matter.
However, the alderman says she has meetings planned in the near future.
“I requested a continuance to give the applicants a time to come into the community and to do a community process…because I do not think that you should come into the community and not have a community process,” Ald. Harris said.
The applicants Harris is referring to are members of Illinois Grown Medicine, LLC (IGM), a company founded in Chicago by Les Hollis, CEO of the proposed dispensary, and his business partners, Desiree Tate, Paul Rosenfield, Craig Moore, John Scott, Gabe Mendoza, Andrew DeAngelo and Edie Moore.
“I have been speaking with Desiree Tate,” Ald. Harris said. “I have asked for three meetings with them between now and the time Illinois Grown Medicine goes back before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) on Aug. 21.”
Several members of EWAC stated during the meeting, held Saturday at St. Felicitas Catholic Church, 1526 E. 84th St., that regardless of the processes involved, they simply do not want the dispensary in their neighborhood.
“As Alderman of the 8th Ward, when my community has stated that they are in opposition of something, I have never overruled them,” Ald. Harris stated. “I have always worked with my community and in concert with my community…If they don’t want medical marijuana I will support my community like I always have. There will be multiple meetings where I will find out what the community’s views are…I have no intention of going to the ZBA and trying to push or ram down medical marijuana down my community’s throat.”
Meeting attendees were ultimately peeved because Hollis and his group were all no-shows.
“It appears to us that the goal of this venture is not to provide medical marijuana to those who are ill and have legitimate medical prescriptions but to circumvent the laws and regulations as they do in California and elsewhere to make marijuana widely available to anyone who wants it. This is not good for our neighborhoods and we want the citizens of this area to know what is taking place,” Jerry Brown, an official with EWAC said in a released statement.
The Chicago Citizen Newspaper spoke with Tate on Tuesday asking her why members of IGM refused to attend the meeting.
“Les Hollis was invited…I think Mr. Brown reached out to him several times…but what we decided because all of the deliberate misinformation that Mr. Brown was disseminating, information that is not factual,” Tate responded. “We didn’t believe that he was really wanting to have a meeting where we could state our case…we did not want to get into a contentious altercation. We want to be able to provide correct, accurate and factual information to the community. And we want to be able to do that in a forum where they are amenable to hearing it.”
Tate also said that CBA is organizing a meeting with the community and members of IGM. The meeting is scheduled for Aug. 11. at 8:30 p.m. and participants must register.
Kelly said in a statement released by CBA, that she will be working with CBA’s peer organizations and other community groups to consider job creation and business to business opportunities the proposed dispensary may create within Chatham’s commercial corridors.
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