Bedford Park cannabis cultivator opens marijuana clinic

Bob Bong

A cannabis cultivator that grows its medicinal marijuana in southwest suburban Bedford Park recently opened its first affiliated pot dispensary on Chicago's Southwest Side.

Maribis of Chicago LLC opened in mid-September in Brighton Park at 4570 S. Archer Ave. in the former Decorators Union Local 17U Hall. The union relocated its offices to Burr Ridge a few years ago.

"It's an old union hall that has been empty for a long time," said Bret Bender, director of strategic planning for Maribis. A second dispensary location is coming soon for Springfield.

Bender also is general manager at Bedford Grow, the locally licensed cannabis cultivator in Bedford Park.

 

"We are both owned by Laurel Dineff," he said. "She applied all over the state and is very happy with the location she got." Dineff is a lawyer based in Summit.

 

Bedford Grow and Maribis are among only five companies in Illinois that both cultivate and dispense marijuana products.

Bender said business started slowly at the Brighton Park clinic but has been growing. "The patient count is growing," he said. "If that continues, we will have a nice industry."

He said Maribis is trying to help people who are eligible for medical marijuana to get signed up for the program, which is not easy to enter and includes fingerprint and background checks.

"We offer free fingerprinting on Tuesday nights," he said, which can cost upward of $60 for patients.

The state has so far approved 41 medical conditions eligible for medical marijuana use, including cancer, spinal cord injuries and childhood epilepsy. Earlier this year, the state added post-traumatic stress disorder and terminal illnesses for patients with less than six months to live to the list of eligible medical conditions.

Patients may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days from licensed dispensaries.

Like all the state's medical marijuana dispensaries, Maribis is a cash-only business because marijuana use is against federal law. Most banks and credit card companies are federally regulated. Patients will also pay sales tax.

The clinic offers a variety of products from 20 cannabis strains such as grams, eighth of an ounce, edibles, flowers and topical creams. Not all of the products come from Bedford Grow, but the cultivator supplies dispensaries throughout the state.

Hours are subject to change but at present the clinic is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and closed Wednesdays and Sundays.

 

Bender said Bedford Grow planted its first seeds a year ago. The plants are grown under special lights in highly controlled rooms. Growers are still in the process of selecting mother strains.

"We want the best strains," he said."We planted a lot of varieties and hope to have four or five mother strains."

He said cultivators in Illinois must package their products, which is more difficult for the growers but guarantees patients that they are getting the same kind of marijuana wherever they purchase it.

"Other states let the dispensaries package their products, so you are not guaranteed the same strain or quality."

He said in addition to medicinal marijuana, Bedford Grow would be looking into developing other possible medical uses for cannabinoids, the active chemical in cannabis plants.

"Some cannabinoids could have positive effects on other ailments and conditions," he said. "We can get better on the science side."

Aside from medical benefits, Bender said legal recreational use in Illinois would be a windfall for the state.

"We all think it's going to be legal," he said. "For us, there's nothing taboo about it. Recreational use would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars."

Kiddie Academy opens in Frankfort
An educational day care center called Kiddie Academy held its grand opening earlier this month in Frankfort.

The center opened in mid-November at 9743 W. St. Francis Road, and its hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
For information, call 815-277-2506.

Dunkin' Donuts opens in Alsip
A new Dunkin' Donuts shop opened earlier this month at 11843 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip. The new store replaces one that closed at 11817 S. Pulaski Road.

Staffing Network moves Burbank office
Staffing Network relocated its Burbank office earlier this month to new digs at 8022 S. Cicero Ave.

The company has been in business for more than 20 years and primarily staffs light industrial positions for a number of industries.

Helping to celebrate its grand opening on Dec. 1 was Ray Castro, chief sales officer for the company; Jerry Mulvihill, an aide to U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski; company President John Holland; Burbank Chamber of Commerce President Barbara Langnes, from Countryside Bank; and chamber Vice president Ed Kozak, from St. Laurence High School.