ANDERSONVILLE — An official with a medical marijuana clinic poised to open in Andersonville said Tuesday that the dispensary's proposed location was a natural choice not only because of the neighborhood's burgeoning business scene and progressive landscape, but also because he and his partners feel personally connected to Andersonville.
"We all live in and around the community so we're already completely engaged," Zachary Zises, the chief financial officer of The Cannabis Group, LLC, told DNAinfo Chicago, a day after the clinic was given the OK to operate by Gov. Bruce Rauner. "But it's certainly a high priority for us to be good members of the business community and be good neighbors to the residents themselves. We feel very connected to the area."
The clinic wants to set up shop at 5001 N. Clark St., the home of a former pizza joint. On Wednesday community members will get the opportunity to weigh in on the plan at a meeting of the North Uptown Neighbors Association. It will be held at 6 p.m. at the Bezazian Library, 1226 W. Ainslie St.
Zachary Zises is a principal for Local Government Regional Center, a group that helps foreigners invest in the state. He currently lives in Evanston, and has lived in the Chicago area since 1993.
In addition to Zises, his sister-in-law, Kristie Zises, will be the CEO and manager of The Cannabis Group. Paul Lee will be responsible for day-to-day operations.
A longtime Chicago resident, Kristie Zises works in real estate and lives less than a mile from the proposed dispensary, according to a letter Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th) sent to constituents about the clinic. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a master's degree in social service administration and has been on "numerous" nonprofit boards, the letter said.
Kristie's husband and Zachary's brother, Bryan Zises, is the chief of staff for the Illinois Housing Development Authority. But Zachary Zises said his brother is not involved with the business.
"He's not completely disinterested but he has no bearing on the business or decisions that were made, formation or continuing on," Zises said. "People will always form opinions. I cannot possibly predict or correct them."
Bryan Zises could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for the governor's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Lee is an Uptown native; his parents have owned the Sheridan "L" liquor store for more than 40 years, according to the alderman's letter. He has previously worked at The Herbal Center, a cannabis dispensary in Colorado, the letter said.
The dispensary would be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m, according to the alderman's letter. It will appear "clean and modern, more like an Apple store than a medical office," the letter said.
Passers-by may not even recognize that it's a cannabis dispensary, as they will only be able to see the waiting area and the vestibule from the street, according to the letter. A sign that reads "Dispensary '33" would be affixed to the front of the building.
The business also plans on taking safety precautions by installing a "robust" security program, including alarm systems and access control doors as well as making sure there is no visible cannabis from outside the building, the letter said.
Zachary Zises said that despite the approval announced by Rauner, his business has yet to receive confirmation from the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation.
"I think there are a number of details that are still unknown," Zises said. "It’s potentially the case there are some contingencies on this approval that we’re not aware of. We haven’t won the lottery."
They also must receive final approval from the City of Chicago's Zoning Board of Appeals in order to get a special use permit for the 5001 N. Clark St. location.
The hearing date is scheduled for Feb. 20.
To help shepherd them through the process, The Cannabis Group hired Chicago law firm Daley & Georges Ltd., as representation. The firm's partners include Michael Daley, the brother of former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Zises said the state's approval gave him and his business partners a boost of confidence.
“I think just having that approval from the state, it makes having conversations a lot easier," he said.
For Zises, opening a medical cannabis dispensary was a personal decision. He said not only does his mother have a qualifying condition, but a close friend's husband passed away several years ago from ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease often affecting the brain's nerve cells. The new law now allows those suffering from ALS to use medical marijuana.
“It’s certainly something I believe in," Zises said. "Hopefully in the long-term it will be a good business as well as being the right kind of business to be involved in.”
Ald. Pawar has said he is in favor of medical marijuana, but his office could not be immediately reached for comment on the state's announcement.
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