Recreational Cannabis vendors will pay tax in Bridgeview

There is not any vendor which sells the recreational marijuana in Bridgeview but the village board is ready to tackle if any proposal comes in future. A cannabis retailers’ occupational tax has been approved by the trustees in their meeting at Sept. 30. The tax was approved with a 6-0 vote. The recreational sale of marijuana will become legal from Jan. 1 2020 statewide. Sept. 30 was the deadline for taking that action so that the state can set up a taxation system.

The marijuana sellers will pay the tax of 3.5% of the gross receipts. The marijuana used for the medical reason will be out of the tax net. Trustee James Cecott asked in the meeting, “Would we reap any rewards from this tax? Or does it all goes to the state?” Louis Cainkar, the attorney of Bridgeview, assured that the village would get a share of tax. Cecott replied, “Good.”

Trustee Claudette Struzik said that she did not have any issue with the sale of recreational marijuana in the village. She said, “If you do not do it, the next suburb does. It is legal.” Steve Landek, the mayor of Bridgeview, said that no one started a store in the village yet but the village needed to be prepared if someone would open a store. Ricardo Mancha, the police chief of Bridgeview, was curious about driving under the influence of marijuana. He said, “I think, here and there, you will smell it.”

The legalization of marijuana will be quite interesting next year, Mancha said. He added, “I have never had a fight with a guy who’s had marijuana.” The board of Trustees took other decisions in the meeting as well. The trustees decided to prohibit the construction of the rental dwellings (multi-family) in the R-3 and R-4 multi-family residence districts.

Mark Zajac has been approved by the trustees as a full-time police officer as he had been a part-time police officer. Mancha welcomed Zajac as a full-time officer. Mancha said, “It is going to help.”