Medical Marijuana Dispensary Proposed Near Superdawg View Full Caption

NORWOOD PARK — Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) will hold two community meetings to give residents a chance to weigh in on proposal to open a medical marijuana dispensary near Superdawg.

At Napolitano's request, city officials delayed a decision on the proposal from Union Group of Illinois to open a dispensary in a vacant storefront at 6428-30 N. Milwaukee Ave. in order to give Norwood Park residents more time to review the plan.

The first meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. June 25 at Olympia Park, 6566 N. Avondale Ave., and the second will take place at 6:30 p.m. July 23 at Oriole Park, 5430 N. Olcott Ave., officials said.

City officials are scheduled to decide Aug. 21 whether to issue the firm a permit to operate the dispensary near Devon and Nagle avenues, across the street from the Caldwell Woods forest preserve.

State officials awarded Union Group of Illinois one of two licenses to operate a marijuana dispensary in Jefferson Township, which includes most of the Far Northwest Side, but the dispensary still needs the city's permission.

A majority of those who attended a community meeting May 19 objected to the plan, and many shouted down those who praised the proposed dispensary as a way for the seriously ill to get access to life-changing medicine.

John Davis, one of three partners in Union Group of Illinois, said the dispensary would be a "good neighbor and a revenue generator" if approved by city officials. The dispensary would be run by Maria Kunz, who owns a home health care business in Skokie.

The dispensary would employ 10 people, and Union Group said it would donate 4 percent of its profits to "local charities and civic groups." The dispensary is expected to turn a $1.6 million profit its first year, which would mean $64,000 for local groups, company officials said.

If approved, the dispensary would operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, and be patrolled around the clock by armed guards using a state-of-the-art camera system, officials said.

In addition to adding 21 parking spaces, Union Group plans to build a secure garage to allow marijuana to be delivered to the facility and cash removed. Otherwise, the 21,500-square-foot building would remain unchanged, officials said.

Curative Health has the approval of both the state and city to open a dispensary at 4758 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Jefferson Park, but has yet to open.

For more information from Napolitano's office, go to chicago41.com or call 773-631-2241.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: