Olney City Council heard opposition at its meeting Monday to its support for examining the possibility of a medical marijuana processing plant locating here.

Nothing was approved by the council at its last meeting, where it expressed support for the prospect, but those in attendance Monday voiced their disapproval of the idea, grounding their opposition in concerns about an increase in crime and in moral and religious terms, with one audience member toward the end of the discussion asking the mayor if he would work with the devil if it meant bringing jobs to the city.

Brian O'Neill began the discussion by addressing the council while holding a couple plastic bags of what were apparently fake marijuana and a fake joint. The props at his side, he told the council that if a plant located here the drug would eventually become recreational and it would be easy for people to get it who were not using it medicinally.

Before crowd members began to speak, Councilman John McLaughlin wanted it clarified that the city did not approve anything at its last meeting.

Mayor Ray Vaughn also wanted to reiterate that point. "The idea that we are getting into the marijuana business is not true," he said. He said the city council gave its support to examining the idea of such a business locating here.

At the council's last meeting, Vaughn said the Richland County Development Corporation Board, aware of recent legislation in Illinois regarding medical marijuana, discussed the idea as part of its attempt to keep up with economic development opportunities.

RCDC Executive Director Courtney Yockey said that as part of legislation that went into effect January 1, cultivation facilities and processing plants will be allowed in any Illinois State Police district. He said this would include a greenhouse and processing facility. Yockey said the facilities would be heavily regulated and the application process would be strict.

He said that in a recently Illinois Farm Bureau magazine there was an advertisement for an organization that was searching for a location.

There would be some restrictions regarding location, Yockey said, noting that they could not be within 2,500 feet of a school, daycare or areas that are zoned for residential use.

There is the potential for anywhere from 10 to 20 jobs and possibly as many as 100 with such a facility, he said.

Audience member Cecil Vaughn said he worked with the Department of Corrections and with the substance-abuse program. He said people will say they have epilepsy, for example, in order to get medical marijuana, and then sell it.

"It's going to end up in our high school out here and our elementary school," he said.

He said that "we've got enough dirtbags" in the county that this would happen. "You're going to have a lot of problems," he said.

Beverly McDowell, who said she was speaking on behalf of several people, said that in the last few years the city has been going in the wrong direction. She said it has allowed pornography to be sold legally, has increased the number of liquor licenses so that basically every restaurant aside from fast food sells alcohol, has allowed Sunday alcohol sales, and has allowed gambling. Now, she said, there is the thought of medical marijuana. She worried about the message it sends to children, who may think it is OK because it is legal. "Is legalizing prostitution next?" she asked.

She read statistics from the American Family Organization and the Illinois Family Institute about the harmful effects of the drug and the issue of using it medicinally.

"I just think these things are not going to bring us the favor of God," she said.

She then switched topics to ask if something could be done about houses that have a lot of junk in the front yard and look bad. She said seeing properties like these could keep a business from moving here.

Vaughn noted that the council voted earlier in the meeting to demolish one such property and that it regularly discusses the issue.

McDowell asked that the landlords be contacted.

Audience member Debra Vaughn was against the use of medical marijuana and against having a processing plant here.

"Do we want our city to become like Chicago?" she asked. "I've got a little girl. I don't want her shot at on the street."

She said having a processing plant would only "bring the trash from Chicago" here. She said there would also be more gangs.

She said she has seen the drug administered in pill form but has never seen it help anyone.

As for what she sees as an increase in crime if a plant located here, she asked the council, "Is that what you guys want for your kids?"

Audience member Drue Elliott said he is a retired Marine and has seen the effects of marijuana on the front lines, noting that it cost people their lives. He also said that an impaired driver was the same whether they were on alcohol or drugs.

Vaughn noted during the discussion that it was not even known how many police districts would get facilities. He said there may only be one located in Chicago.

Elliott wondered if the city wanted to be known as having such a facility. He did not think the city needed it.

Audience member Mary Spillman, who is also a county board member, wondered if the plant would even be a city council issue if it located in the county.

Vaughn said, "We're not even in the batter's box yet" and Spillman was talking about "the ninth inning."

Spillman said a facility might bring people from Chicago, but she said people from there are already coming here because the county has the best welfare system in the state and everyone knows it.

Audience member and local pastor Chris Jennette said he and others pray for the county. He told them, "You can understand my disarray," upon finding out about the medical marijuana facility issue.

He said he understands some of the arguments for using the drug medicinally in order to give comfort to patients at the end of life, but he said there are already drugs that work well in those instances.

He said that when he came here in 2000 and discovered convenience stores could not sell alcohol and that it could not be sold on Sundays, "I thought perhaps maybe I'd found Utopia." He said alcohol can now be sold on Sunday and he could see Walmart eventually selling it.

Jennette said the medical marijuana issue is being looked at because of its potential for jobs. But, he said, "Satan never appears with a pitchfork and pointed tail." He comes in the form of something favorable, Jennette said.

Vaughn gave him a sign that he had a minute left to speak, so Jennette concluded with a verse from 1 Timothy about the love of money being the root of all kinds of evil. The crowd applauded after Jennette's comments.

Vaughn said that during his life he has seen the city go from economic prosperity to depression. He said that any chance he has to work with the Richland County Development Corporation Executive Director Courtney Yockey to bring legal jobs to the city, he will do it.

"So you're going to work with the devil," one crowd member said.

Vaughn said the state "in its infinite wisdom" has legalized medical marijuana. He said the city is talking about an opportunity and what is now only "a possibility of a possibility."

There was some discussion about the $25,000 licensing fee and where this would come from, with some in the audience saying taxpayers are against the project. Vaughn said this $25,000 would not be paid by the city. It would be paid by whatever applicant there may be.

"You were elected to do what we asked you to do," one audience member said. Vaughn said it is his and the council's job to do what's best for the city economically and that when there is an economic opportunity, he is going to look at it.

"We've endorsed the idea of jobs," he said.

McDowell said the city needs to look to God. "We need to counsel with God and ask for his wisdom," she said.

Audience member Logan Ashworth wondered how many businesses would not locate here if there were a medical marijuana processing plant.

Another audience member asked what happened to having God be the center of everything.

The council took no action on the issue.