By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington City Council member wants the city to become a “cannabis pervasive” community that would take advantage of the economic benefits of a new state law legalizing recreational marijuana use.

A narrow council majority seemed willing at Monday night’s committee-of-the-whole meeting to go along with Jenn Carrillo’s task force idea.

Carrillo also wants to repair the harm done to people of color during what she said was the “failed war on drugs.” She acknowledged there are challenges ahead.

“Like figuring out how our local police handle intoxicated people, roadside testing, what an employee policy looks like as an employer, whether we want to do targeted zoning where all of the purchasing and consumption happens in the city,” Carrillo said.

“For me, getting it right means putting people around the table, putting residents, and elected officials, and business owners, and potential business owners, and law enforcement, and other stakeholders at the table to begin to plot out what this multi-year rollout could look like,” Carrillo also said.

Council member Kimberly Bray believes a task force isn’t needed in Bloomington’s ward system of government.

“For me, I would see it as abdicating my responsibility as an alderman for Ward 9 to not interact with my constituents and get the information that I need from them in order to come to the table and share that with you,” said Bray.

Council member Jamie Mathy said he has no problem with a task force, but is worried the panel’s work would not be done fast enough. Mathy said he was approached just last week by an entrepreneur wanting to open a marijuana dispensary in Bloomington.

“They live in Bloomington, they want to have a location where their new business supports Bloomington, any tax dollars go to Bloomington and not in a different community,” said Mathy.

The new state law takes effect January 1.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]