At least two licensed marijuana dispensaries in Illinois are now operating drive-through pickup lanes, marking an early implementation of a new state law authorizing the service.
Village Dispensary in Godfrey opened its drive-through Thursday after receiving approval Wednesday from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The launch makes it the second dispensaries in the state to begin offering the option.
The other currently known marijuana drive-through in Illinois is operated by Seven Point Cannabis Dispensary in Danville, which opened its lane on July 23 and was widely reported at the time as the state’s first cannabis drive-through.
The openings come less than three months after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 3222 into law on June 12. The measure amended the state’s Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act to allow licensed dispensaries to offer both drive-through and curbside pickup to recreational consumers and medical marijuana patients, with medical patients receiving priority.
At Village Dispensary, a manager told The Marijuana Herald that customers must place and pay for their orders online before arriving. Staff then verify identification at pickup before handing over the order, similar to the process used for in-store purchases.
The new law is designed to expand access and convenience for consumers while maintaining the state’s existing regulations for retail marijuana sales. Under Illinois law, marijuana transported in a vehicle must remain in its original packaging inside a sealed, odor-proof and child-resistant container.
The updated law also allows curbside pickup, though neither dispensary appears to currently have this as an option.
