The first recreational cannabis dispensary in Round Lake Beach is planned to open in the spring, after approval this week by village officials.
VISE Partners LLC received a special-use permit to open a shop called Altius in a former mattress store and original Blockbuster location at 993 E. Rollins Road, an outlot in the Rollins Crossing shopping center just east of Route 83.
Altius is a Latin word and part of the Olympic motto, ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ (Faster. Higher. Stronger), explained Jeff Gasner, VISE’s president/CEO.
“That’s one of our goals — to deliver a higher customer experience,” Gasner said.
“The idea is to get away from the feel of the original medical marijuana-only dispensaries,” he added.
Recreational use among those 21 and older became legal in Illinois Jan. 1, 2020.
Communities were allowed to ban or regulate cannabis-related businesses. In September 2019, Round Lake Beach officials approved sales in the village. VISE was the first to request approval for a dispensary.
The village requires marijuana shops be at least 250 feet from schools and other designated properties. Owners must obtain a special-use permit, which comes with a higher measure of review from village officials.
According to the approval, VISE must file a lighting plan and install video surveillance and other systems to conform with a police-approved security plan. Consumption of cannabis on premises is prohibited.
Gasner said the company began looking for locations last summer. Rollins Crossing is in a busy commercial area, and traffic studies showed it would be a good location, he said.
“This is going to (have) better curb appeal than a lot of other dispensaries,” he added.
The mid-70s era Rollins Crossing is undergoing a rebirth.
VISE stands for Vertically Integrated Solutions Enterprise, Gasner said. The company has land in Woodstock and plans to apply to the state for a craft license to cultivate, dry, cure and package cannabis, he added.
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