In the coming months, the still-unrealized concept of a marijuana cultivation center in Pontiac could come to life, bringing with it anticipated economic benefits, as well as controversy due to the fact that, according to the federal government, the drug is highly addictive, has no medical value and is illegal.

Although among members of the public, it remains a hot topic, officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health, state-level elected officials and the mayor of Pontiac all recently shared their thoughts. During Monday's Pontiac City Council meeting, the council approved lease agreements with Curative Health Cultivation and The Green Solution Illinois, two cannabis production companies that — if one is approved by the state — will prompt construction on a 3.6 acre parcel of land south of Exact Packaging on Deerfield Rd. in the months to follow.

“The only action the city can take on this is to approve the building permit,” Russell said. “If one of the companies is awarded one of the centers, we will issue a building permit. I just have to submit a letter to the state saying the business meets all the requirements.”

Some residents not only in Pontiac but also throughout Illinois and other states that have moved toward some form of the legalization of the drug have concerns not only including the question of whether or not such a business should be allowed within city limits, but also how it could reflect on citizens of the community.

“We're not giving preference to one type of business over another,” Russell said. “We have a set of limitations and businesses who qualify within those limitations can be issued a building permit. I have done a lot of reading on medical marijuana and I believe persons with autism, epilepsy, cancer and multiple sclerosis are going to benefit from it. That's not to say I have used. In all honesty, I didn't know what it was many years ago when I was in school.”

Something Russell emphasized was that the proposed business is simply a cultivation center – not a point of distribution, meaning no product will be sold in Pontiac. Instead, it will be shipped from Pontiac to distribution centers. According to Russell, passerby will not be able to differentiate the center from the other businesses in the community.

With some voicing concerns over the security of the facilities and the potential crime they could attract have been met with responses that include the strict state-mandated security requirements and the fact that many of the companies seeking state licenses intend on exceeding those standards to ensure the security of their product.

In many of these centers, the plants will be grown in enclosed, locked facilities complete with silent alarms and 24-hour video surveillance. They will be encased in vaults, monitored by security guards and protected by fingerprint-recognition pads.

“People think kids are going to break in and take dope, but I don't think that's a feasible possibility,” District 106 State Representative Josh Harms said. “Nobody is going to be breaking in. We're going to put local people to work and it's going to make tax revenue for the state. I think it's great.”

Another purported benefit to the cente, outside of the nearly-two dozen jobs it would create for the local economy, is the new structure, which, according to Russell would be an asset worth several hundred thousand dollars.

“A new business like that creates Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) and the more we can raise that number, the more we can keep our taxes from going any higher,” Russell said. “If your EAV stays stagnant, your taxes are going to go up.”

Although a majority of Pontiac’s representatives are in favor of the facility, not every municipality is of the same mindset. On Tuesday, it was announced that the McLean County Board voted 15-2 to deny a permit to Tim Jones, a Downs resident who wished to build a cultivation facility on property he owned.

According to reports, the facility was turned down due to the fact that the individual wished to put an industrial business within an agriculturally zoned property. Whether or not the “deny” notion will continue as other proposed locations come up remains to be seen, but Russell says he wouldn't be surprised if McLean County had other spots in mind for a proposed cultivation facility.

Due to the fact that the state is issuing just 21 licenses total – one for each Illinois State Police district – many local governing bodies are approaching the process in a manner similar to winning the lottery. Some have even gone so far as to call it a “path to economic recovery.”

“I voted 'no' on the bill itself,” Harms said. “But if we're going to bring in jobs, I want it to be for our people instead of somewhere else. With these police districts and how the cultivation center application process is set up, if we can get it that's great.”

One thing to keep in mind for communities, as they make bids for cultivation centers, is the upcoming Illinois gubernatorial election between incumbent Democratic Governor Pat Quinn and Republican candidate Bruce Rauner. The Republican candidate recently stated his belief that the program is “ripe for corruption,” adding that he would have vetoed the medical marijuana law. He went on to say the application process should be changed for companies vying for dispensary and cultivator licenses due to the fact that under the current law, the names of applicants won’t be made public. The GOP candidate claims that move would open the process to the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority without proper regard to their qualifications. Should he be elected, there is potential for him to undo, or at the very least change, the progress made on medical marijuana legalization.

“One of the questions I get asked, is what if in four years the federal government doesn't allow these, what happens to the building?” Russell said. “Well, it's no different than any other business that goes into business and then fails – you have a building for sale.”

There is no set timetable for when the city will know whether or not Pontiac will get a cultivation center. All applications must be submitted to the state by Sept. 22 and the timeline for approval is unknown.



