Chatham village leaders seeking public opinion on 2019 cannabis ban

CHATHAM, Ill. (WAND) — Chatham residents will see two advisory referendum questions on their ballots in April.

One will ask residents if they think cannabis products should be sold within village limits, and the other will ask residents if they think cannabis products should be grown or produced within village limits.

While cannabis was legalized in Illinois in 2020, the Village of Chatham voted to ban the sale and production of cannabis products in 2019. Village President Dave Kimsey says this means people are traveling outside of the village to purchase cannabis

"Whichever municipality they're heading to make their purchases, they're benefiting from the taxes," said Kimsey. "So in that sense, banning a distribution site in the village limits only provides tax revenue to somebody else."

Kimsey says the cannabis industry has grown astronomically in the last four years and wants the village to benefit from the growth. He says dispensaries in Illinois bring in an average of $200,000 in tax revenue to municipalities. By comparison, Chatham only makes $400,000 in motor fuel taxes, which they spend on road upkeep.

"Cannabis has been legalized in Illinois, it's a fact, and we know that," said Kimsey. "Now we need to look at what steps to take to capitalize on it or decide we just stay away from it, and this is an industry that is not going to be here."

The purpose of the advisory questions is to gather public opinion on cannabis. The results will not mean the ban is overturned, but they will guide the village board on what steps they should take regarding cannabis in the future.