Discussions of medical cannabis are in the air in Forest Park in the next few weeks.
- Thursday, Aug. 21 Village Commissioner Chris Harris hosts an online Facebook forum on the Forest Park Townhall page. Joining the group online will be Linda Cibula, Forest Park business owner who says she’s been working a year to open a dispensary at the site of Kevil’s restaurant, 7228 Circle Ave. Also participating online will be Dan Linn, executive director of IL NORML, a marijuana legalization organization. Linn was a lobbyist instrumental in getting the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act passed. The discussion takes place online at 8 p.m. on Facebook. See Facebook event page here .
- Monday, Aug. 25 Linda Cibula will hold an informational discussion in her shop, Stencib, 7503 Madison St. “I’ll be there to answer any questions anyone may have,” said Cibula, noting that there is a lack of information about dispensaries and medical cannabis in general. “I want to help clear up any misconceptions.” Discussion starts at 6 p.m.
- Monday Aug. 25 The Forest Park Village Council meets, and medical cannabis and the location of possible dispensaries are bound to surface during public comments since the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on the subject was canceled on a technicality because staff neglected to post the agenda 48 hours in advance. The village council meeting begins at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 4 A rescheduled ZBA meeting will take place at 7 p.m., when zoning board members will hear public comment on whether medical cannabis dispensaries will be required to obtain a conditional use/special use before opening in Forest Park, and which village zoning category, business or industrial, or both, the dispensaries would end up in. Three different companies have proposed locations for dispensaries in Forest Park. The state will begin to accept applications Sept. 8-22.
