A new cannabis dispensary proposal is once again stirring debate in Chicago’s 40th Ward, as a different operator looks to move into the same Peterson Avenue location where a previous plan was rejected following community opposition.
Eagle Dispensaries of Illinois is seeking a zoning change to open a dispensary at 2415 W. Peterson Ave., an area of West Ridge that has never had a licensed cannabis retailer. The proposal was introduced during a recent virtual community meeting and would require approval from Ald. Andre Vasquez before advancing to several city boards and eventually the full City Council.
The address is already familiar to many residents. Last year, another group attempted to open a dispensary at the same site but was turned away after neighbors raised concerns about the ownership group, which included multiple former Chicago police officers. Residents questioned whether individuals who once enforced cannabis prohibition should now profit from legalization. Vasquez ultimately sided with the community and denied the request.
Eagle Dispensaries is now attempting to revive the location with a new plan.
The site is currently a vacant single story commercial building with limited parking. According to the proposal, the existing structure would remain unchanged, with most parking preserved and employee parking shifted to a nearby vacant lot. If approved, the dispensary would operate under the name Dispensary Den.
The biggest concern raised so far is ownership.
One of the co owners, Jim Kaufman, is based in Arizona, where he has operated multiple cannabis dispensaries for more than a decade and has been involved in that state’s medical cannabis movement. During the meeting, Kaufman pledged to be engaged with the neighborhood and operate responsibly. However, his out of state status raises ongoing concerns about who truly benefits from Illinois cannabis licenses.
Illinois’ social equity cannabis program was created to increase ownership opportunities for people who live in communities harmed by decades of the war on drugs. Yet many licenses awarded under this program have been paired with outside capital and influence, often shifting control away from Illinois residents.
Eagle Dispensaries lists Chicago resident Frankie Terry as its social equity applicant and co owner. Terry, who is from the South Side, said she and Kaufman connected through a mutual acquaintance and have spent years navigating the licensing process together.
While arrangements like this are permitted under current state rules, they continue to raise serious questions. Are social equity licenses building real local ownership, or are they becoming an entry point for out of state operators to access Illinois’ limited market?
For many advocates, social equity was meant to keep ownership, jobs, and long term investment rooted in the communities most impacted by prohibition, not to serve as a workaround for experienced operators from outside Illinois.
If Ald. Vasquez approves the zoning change, the proposal would still require approval from the city zoning committee, a vote from the full City Council, and a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. Construction permits would also be required before the dispensary could open.
West Ridge residents still have an opportunity to share their opinions. The 40th Ward office has opened a public survey for community feedback with a deadline of January 19.
As Illinois’ cannabis industry continues to evolve, proposals like this highlight a larger issue facing the state. Who cannabis legalization is meant to benefit and whether social equity promises are being fulfilled for the people who actually live here.
Couch Lock’d will continue to follow this proposal and others across Illinois as communities push for a cannabis industry that truly reflects local voices and local ownership.
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