ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Rockford City Council voted to deny plans to allow people to smoke marijuana inside cannabis dispensaries.
Lyfe Cannabis, at 6774 Troy Drive, applied for a license for a “cannabis consumption lounge.”
The first cannabis lounge opened in California in 2019.
Currently, 10 states allow for social cannabis consumption, and certain municipalities within Illinois allow it.
The license would have allowed for a group of patrons to make an appointment to smoke inside the facility, with the requirement that they bring along a designated driver.
Alcohol consumption can be measured by a blood alcohol level, which Illinois law allows for a maximum of .08% before a person can be convicted of Driving Under the Influence. Cannabis consumption currently does not have a similar measurement.
The proposed rule would have allowed licensed businesses to sell packaged cannabis to customers on a reservation-only basis; would have restricted the business from operating later than midnight; required it to maintain odor control so as to not create a public nuisance; prohibit outside cannabis from being consumed on the premises; and prohibited outdoor patio consumption unless specifically approved by the City and surrounded by a six-foot tall fence.
The ordinance also said cannabis products must be removed from the table of the designated driver 30 minutes prior to leaving.
After a lengthy discussion at Monday night’s meeting,…
