First Illinois Dispensary Opens … Without Cannabis

The first Illinois medical cannabis dispensary opened on Tuesday in the small town of Marion, which is closer to Kentucky than to Chicago.

There’s a big caveat, however: The dispensary is only offering counseling, massage and acupuncture services at this time. It’s not selling medical cannabis yet because none is available at this time, according to an Illinois TV station.

For now, the dispensary – called Harbory – will focus on building relationships with local patients and hosting educational seminars on the uses of MMJ, as well as instructing potential customers on how to register for the state’s cannabis program. The dispensary will also solicit feedback from customers on possible ancillary services, reported The Southern newspaper.

Harbory is hoping to begin stocking MMJ to sell to patients in October or November, according to news reports.

Other dispensaries are also expected to come online in that time frame. So even though Harbory ranks as the first dispensary to open its doors, it may not ultimately be the first dispensary to sell cannabis legally in Illinois.