May 02, 2024
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Woodstock approves dispensary, adding onto marijuana business set to open soon

No discussion took place on the item before it was voted on at City Council meeting

By James T. Norman
The old Golf and Games mini-golf site, located at 1411 South Eastwood Drive in Woodstock, is pictured March 3, 2022. The site is expected to eventually be made into a craft-growing, infusion and transportation business for marijuana, but the business owners are still waiting for their craft-growing licensing from the state.

The old Golf and Games mini-golf site, located at 1411 S. Eastwood Drive, Woodstock, is pictured March 3, 2022. The site is expected to eventually be made into a craft-growing, infusion and transportation business for marijuana. (James Norman)

A new marijuana dispensary in Woodstock could open by the end of this year after the City Council approved a special use permit for one in town at its meeting Tuesday.

The approval is not the first that Michigan-based Six Labs Inc. has gotten from the city, as it works toward opening a sort of campus in Woodstock that will incorporate many types of marijuana businesses.

Slated to be the last piece of the operation, the dispensary will open near the company’s infusion and transportation building at 1411 S. Eastwood Drive.

The building is proposed to be 3,000 square feet and will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., except on Sunday when it will close at 6 p.m., according to city documents.

The plan is to open up the dispensary by the end of the year, company representatives said in April. Meanwhile, the infusion and transportation part is slated to open up in the coming weeks.

Six Labs is waiting for certain machinery to come in before beginning operations, Six Labs spokesperson Joseph Ori said last week. The company also is working toward obtaining a craft-growing license through the state, which would be tacked onto its other business.

“I’m happy they’ve chosen Woodstock to expand their business.”

—  Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner on Six Labs Inc.

Tuesday’s vote came without any discussion, but follows several years of questions about the security of such a facility, as well as the impact it could have on surrounding businesses.

“The petitioner is well-aware of the state requirements. … and has indicated they will meet or exceed standards for sales and storage of cannabis, as well as security features, policies and protocols,” according to city documents.

Before the business can open, Six Labs will have to obtain a dispensary license from the state, according to city material. At a Plan Commission meeting April 20, Six Labs representatives said they plan on acquiring one after receiving city approval.

Mayor Mike Turner said Wednesday that since marijuana has been legal in the state for more than three years, there is an interest in bringing it into Woodstock. There is support for the facility, and little to no opposition.

Opening a dispensary in town also will provide Woodstock with revenues it otherwise wouldn’t have, as it has a maximum 3% tax on recreational marijuana sales.

“I’m happy they’ve chosen Woodstock to expand their business,” Turner said.

The dispensary is one of several marijuana businesses that have either opened or are set to open in McHenry County. While getting marijuana-based businesses into the area was slow for the first couple years of legalization, municipalities are approving them in bulk now, such as in McHenry and Cary, which could both have dispensaries open this summer.

Crystal Lake’s first dispensary, Ivy Hall, opened earlier this year. It was the second to open in the county after RISE Lake in the Hills, which opened in 2021.