Ald. Ed Burke makes a plan to bring marijuana to Chicago. A statement no one would have seen coming when Burke was first elected to the 14th Ward post in 1969, especially since he came to the Council as a police officer.

CHICAGO, IL - File this one under things that one would think would only happen in a bizarre, parallel universe.

Burke, the last Machine politician from the Richard J. Daley era still on the City Council who helped lead the "Vrdolyak 29" in resisting any measure made by Harold Washington, Chicago's first African-American Mayor, and who was once accused of threatening to punch progressive alderman Leon Despres in the face in the back room of Council Chambers several decades ago, is a proponent of lightening zoning regulations in The Loop to allow more medical marijuana dispensaries.

In fact, Burke has proposed the ordinance that would allow for dispensaries in three of the zoning areas in The Loop, which currently only allows for the federally illegal businesses to open in two.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are currently allowed in the Mixed-Use and Service districts, but not in the Downtown Core or Residential districts. The ordinance, which passed a committee on Tuesday and is expected to be up for a Council vote on May 18, would allow for the dispensaries to open in the Downtown Core district, according to NBC-Chicago. The district includes high-rises, stores, civic buildings and some hospitals.

"For the sake of consistency, we would allow it there," a Burke spokesman said.

Burke was first elected to represent residents on the Southwest Side of the city in 1969 and has only been challenged once since. He was a powerful member of the (Richard J.) Daley Machine and remains as one of the city's most influential aldermen 47 years later.

His ward now includes parts of Gage Park, Back of the Yards and several random streets designed in a creative way.



