SESSER (WSIL) -- Recreational cannabis sales to buyers from outside of Illinois more than tripled since its launch in January of last year. According to state data, out-of-state consumers accounted for more than 30% of the nearly $670 million in sales for 2020.
Now, a new on-site cannabis-use lounge coming to Sesser is looking to capitalize on that market.
Mayor Jason Ashmore says the city approved a measure last March, preparing the way for Luna Lounge to open its doors next month.
"It's very important to bring in new businesses, we don't want to be one of those small communities that are falling to the wayside unfortunately, we want to keep moving forward and growing," says Ashmore. "And you know, one thing we want to do is try to break the stigma of cannabis, there's a lot of people that use it for medicinal purposes also, and not everyone can use it at home."
The Lounge is a legal way for out-of-state cannabis customers to use their purchases before returning home, and it offers a venue in the region for entertainment and cannabis to exist side-by-side.
Owner Holly Roeder says the Lounge is the first of its kind to open in Illinois, she worked with the city of Sesser on its approval, adding that it will add revenue and bring tourists to the area.
"Right now we're in the old Sesser Bank Lounge, which was originally a bank in the 1920's," says Roeder, pointing to a walk-in vault at the far end of the building. The remodel is still under construction, but she is enthusiastic of meeting the estimated opening in April.
"We have a stage space here," where Roeder says bands will play each weekend. She says she is already in the process of lining up entertainment and is already sold out for the Luna Lounge opening party--a Roaring 20's themed affair.
"I chose Sesser specifically for its location, because it is in the middle of a lot of things," says Roeder. She says the region already attracts several million people to nearby Rend Lake, and Sesser is situated between dispensaries in Mt. Vernon, Marion and Carbondale.
The state of Illinois left it up to municipalities to allow for on-site consumption venues within their communities.
"I approached the city," explains Roeder. "I said, 'Hey, I heard that the state of Illinois is interested in doing these on-site cannabis consumption lounges, can we go ahead and try and make this work.'"
Mayor Ashmore says the City Council found community-wide support at its meeting last year and passed the measure on a vote of 4-2. He says they look forward to another new business in a time of economic insecurity.
"We want Sesser to be a destination for tourism and other aspects," says Ashmore. "Rend Lake has 2-to-3 million visitors a year, we're trying to capitalize on that also, to get a lot of those people to come to Sesser for their needs and the more options we have the more people we're going to bring."
With Luna Lounge set to open as Illinois' first on-site cannabis consumption space, the owner says she knows it will be something of a "test bed," a challenge she is prepared for.
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March 18, 2021 at 08:00AM
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Illinois' first on-site consumption cannabis lounge set to open in Sesser - WSIL TV
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