Harrisburg hears discussion of legal cannabis

HARRISBURG - Harrisburg city council members invited members of the community on Thursday to discuss concerns about a proposed ordinance permitting recreational cannabis sales inside city limits.

"Folks, like it or not, recreational cannabis is coming to Illinois on Jan. 1. We want to hear people's thought's about it," Mayor John McPeek told those in attendance.

Council also heard a presentation from Rosie Naumovski, who with her husband Gorgi Naumovski, own medical cannabis dispensaries, known as "Thrive," in Harrisburg and Anna.

Naumovski said the medical cannabis business is tightly regulated by the state of Illinois.

"We have to do inventory every day, and all our product is locked up. Our vault is very secure. People can't even come in the door without a medical cannabis card," Naumovski said. "I don't want to lose our license to sell. It's very expensive, and we take it very seriously."

She said security protocols will remain the same once recreational cannabis is legal in Illinois.

Municipalities who permit recreational cannabis sales in their communities may tax those sales 3 percent. Council members said they would not vote on the ordinance until at least the Oct. 17 meeting

At least one council member said he doesn't like communities being forced to deal with the issue.

"This is something Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker forced down our throat," Councilman Rupert Johnson said.