Cannabis on the water: Fox Lake dispensary Smokehouse touted as Illinois’ 1st dockside marijuana shop

Boaters on the Chain O’ Lakes now can get cannabis products without straying far from the water.

In the latest twist on Illinois’ ever-expanding cannabis market, Smokehouse Dispensary in Fox Lake is touting itself as the state’s first dispensary located on the water. There are docks behind the store for boaters to park their watercraft while they stock up on marijuana products.

[ Photos: Smokehouse dockside dispensary opens  ]

The dispensary is located in a former barbecue joint at 44 Route 12 and celebrated its opening day Friday. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Tuesday.

As for the waterside location that provides access to boaters, the company said in a statement that “we wanted to create an experience that allows a convenient and unique way for customers to access our services directly from their boats, enhancing their experience in a very scenic location.”

The store leans into its settings, with a mural featuring boaters, one of whom is smoking a joint, painted on a wall near windows looking out over the water.

There’s also a 25% discount for those who sign up for the dispensary’s rewards program, general manager Zach Edgerton said. Those with medical marijuana cards will get 30% off, while seniors and Social Security Disability Insurance recipients get a 10% discount and military members get 20% off.

Besides cannabis and related products, the store also sells candles, journals and other merchandise, including dog bibs that read, “My owner is a stoner.”

On Friday morning, things were quiet but running smoothly.

“It’s been kind of chill,” Edgerton said, adding that it gave the dispensary a chance to work out any glitches. By Friday afternoon, Edgerton said, the store had seen 24 customers.

“It’s definitely pretty decent for a first day,” Edgerton said, adding that the store didn’t do marketing.

Tonya Beeter, who works at the dispensary, swung by to check out the space Friday before she was due back for her shift later in the day.

“I absolutely love it,” Beeter said, adding that she hadn’t before seen the store fully set up. “I’m glad I came in.”

Fox Lake resident Robert Johnson was checking out the dispensary Friday morning. He said he had a medical card and found Smokehouse “a nice place.”

Smokehouse is not the only dispensary in town. Two miles south on Route 12 is another dispensary, Aroma Hill. Smokehouse operators said they felt the village of Fox Lake had been supportive of the venture.

“The local reception has been incredibly supportive, with the village of Fox Lake being extremely welcoming. This encouragement has really energized our efforts to integrate into the community and foster partnerships with local businesses,” the company said in a written statement.

Another dispensary, Nobo, is scheduled to open in nearby Lakemoor soon. A sign on the fence surrounding construction says the dispensary is coming soon and has a QR code that links to its rewards program. As of Friday, there was a structure up, and construction was in progress. Lakemoor will be Nobo’s first location in Illinois; the dispensary has other locations in Michigan, according to its Facebook page.

As of July 19, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation had issued 108 conditional adult-use-dispensing organization licenses in the state, the majority issued in 2022.

Smokehouse and Nobo are in Lake County, but there are six dispensaries in McHenry County, with five opening in 2023 alone. McHenry County received $868,190 in cannabis tax revenue during the fiscal year that ended Nov. 30, county officials said.