Carbondale Dispensary

 Another dispensary has opened in Carbondale, this one on East Main in the shuttered Pizza Hut building. Carbondale Dispensary, according to its Google listing, offers both recreational and medicinal marijuana

Pizza Hut

 Remodeling taking place at the long shuttered Pizza Hut on East Main. From what I understand, yet another licensed marijuana store ( I am not going to call them dispensaries, since most people do not shop there for medicinal purposes) is going in. That will make three licensed stores in town so far and at least four that sell CBD that are not licensed.

Marijuana Tax Revenue

 Caught on this past week's State Week that tax revenues generated in Illinois by marijuana amounted to 19 million in July. Tax revenues from alcohol amounted to 22 million. Due to higher taxes on cigarettes in Illinois, the state has seen leakage to surrounding states with lower cigarette taxes for years. However, since those selfsame states do not offer legal marijuana sales, I surmise Illinois is reaping the benefits of traffic from their citizens wanting to purchase legal cannabis . 

Puff and Stuff

Following up on an earlier post, Puff and Stuff was a smoking supplies ship located on S. Illinois across from where Trax is now. There were a couple of other similar businesses in Carbondale in the 1990s that dabbled in smoking paraphernalia, such as Merlin's in the Island Building on S. University. They violated city ordinances regarding selling those problems but were pretty much ignored by the city until Discount Den, a convenience store located just south of where Keeper's Quarters is now, sought a license to sell beer.

When the liquor control board and city council turned down Discount Den's request for a liquor license, the manager at the time pointed out the hypocrisy of the council at the time in refusing Discount Den a license while at the same time allowing the sale of smoking paraphernalia, which was banned by the city. Stung, the council swung into action and, within a week, no businesses in Carbondale were selling smoking accessories. Puff and Stuff shuttered immediately and Merlin's closed up within a few months, after racking up significant sales tax liabilities to the state.

Head Shops

With the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state, Carbondale is seeing an influx of what were called head shops back in the 60s. Consume,in the Newell House building, is the only place in town to actually buy marijuana but you can now purchase smoking and related accessories at Hemp & Stuff on East Main, Legal Smile on South Illinois and soon, at Blue Gorilla in the old El Greco's location. Apparently, there will soon be a location next to Legal Smile that sells equipment for growing your own marijuana for personal use. 

We haven't had this many places to buy smoking accessories since back in the 90s when the city council closed them all up within a week. More on that tomorrow.

Marijuana Dispensary

Had the first person I can remember ask me where a marijuana retailer was in Carbondale. he seemed a bit surprised when I told him he would have to drive east of Carterville to find one as no have applied for a license yet in Carbondale and I think Murphysboro has voted, so far, not to authorize any within their city limits. Given the lines I have seen waiting to get into the Harbor, often half a block long on the weekend, I imagine we should see a marijuana shop apply for a license sometime this year, likely by the end of summer.

Pot Sales

City council will take up legal sales of pot in Carbondale at the meeting tonight. Unfortunately, it appears that legalized pot and CBD sales are not proving the pot of money for growers and taxing agencies hoped for. Illegal pot sales are still strong, likely because the taxes imposed still make black market marijuana profitable while CBD production is running into bottlenecks in that there are not enough plants set up to take the raw hemp and convert it into CBD products.

Campus Drug Use

According to this article in the current Daily Egyptian, black SIUC students are referred for drug related offenses to SIUC's Student Rights and Responsibilities office twice as often as white students, primarily for the odor of cannabis. 65% of SIUC students identity as white while less than 15% are black. Nationally, black and white Americans use marijuana at about the same rates, so, assuming enforcement was racially neutral, one would expect about 4 times more white students than black referred to the SRR for marijuana use.

Marijuana Sales Legalized

Next year, that is.  City council voted last night to allow recreational sales of marijuana in the city limits whenever the state legalization of sales starts, next September I believe. A additional 2% sales tax will be imposed on sales, pushing the sales tax on it to around 11.75%. mayor says he would like to see the additional tax revenue funneled into some form of social programs.

Marijuana

City council supposed to discuss recreational marijuana sales in the city tonight. Mayor is already talking about taxing it and almost all comments at the last council meeting supported it so would bet that, unlike Marion and Murphysboro, Carbondale goes ahead and legalizes retail sales. Does this mean we are not a family friendly city, as that is one of the reasons other communities have given for not legalizing recreational pot? Of course, I bet that those family friendly cities will now start closing up liquor stores and restricting cigarette sales and shuttering video gaming parlours.

Councilman of the Week

Councilman Adam Loos made the Capitol Fax for his stance advocating for legalizing recreational marijuana here. Personally, since Missouri shows no sign of advancing legalization there, I think a well run recreational marijuana shop in East Cape would do gangbusters. People cross the bridge to visit the Pony and stop off for a bit o' grass on the way home, but only use it after you get home since smoking and driving do not mix.