Forest Park’s first dispensary, Parkway Dispensary, opened in September 2024 at 7432 Madison St. Just over a year later, Parkway shut its doors in November and put up a sign saying the business was closed due to technical difficulties. It hasn’t reopened since.
Parkway did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.
According to Google, Parkway Dispensary is temporarily closed and ordering options for the Forest Park location have been removed from the Parkway website. Steve Glinke, head of the village’s building department, said he has reached out to dispensary ownership after they put the sign up, but hasn’t heard back.
Parkway Dispensary is a part of the 1937 Group, a company that grows cannabis and distributes it to more than 170 dispensaries across the state. The 1937 Group opened its first dispensary in 2023 in Tilton, Illinois to sell its own products. The Forest Park location was the company’s second. There’s also a location in Fox Lake.
Parkway Dispensary still has three active business licenses in the state, according to the State of Illinois data portal.
Parkway Dispensary bought the building at 7432 Madison St. from Martin Sorice, who owned the property when Doc Ryan’s was there. He also operates multiple bars in town. After Doc Ryan’s closed in March 2023, a different dispensary was set to buy the building, but pulled out of the deal that same month.
According to Glinke, Mint Cannabis, located at the corner of Roosevelt and Harlem, has been cleared by the village to open for business. With Parkway Dispensary closed, Mint Cannabis will be Forest Park’s second dispensary. Bloc Dispensary opened at 7216 Circle Ave. in June.
