HARRISTOWN, Ill. (WCIA) — Today was the groundbreaking for the first marijuana dispensary in the Village of Harristown.

It’s called Mystic Greenz, located in the Village of Harristown near the intersection of Western Avenue and Harristown Blvd.

Mayor Evelyn Deverell said she’s excited about the money that will go back into the community.

“We’re hoping to build a small park,” Deverell said. “We have some other things to accomplish. They have committed to helping us with some of those things. To be decided later, but right now we’re throwing out ideas.”

Indus 360, the owners of the dispensary said they wouldn’t be here without the community’s support. Dispensary Co-Founder Krishna Balakrishnan said a diverse team with a common goal helped get them here.

“Whenever you start a business you like-minded people who think like you, who want to be together, work for the same cause,” Balakrishnan said.

Dispensary Co-owner Tiffany Jackson is a retired veteran who wants to help other retired veterans dealing with problems like PTSD, anxiety, and body pain. She said this has been years in the making.

“I’m extremely excited,” Jackson said. “The groundbreaking just symbolizes that first step that we’re able to take forward as social equity applicants. The process has been grueling, to say the least, but we’re finally here and we’re excited to be able to move forward with the project.”

Indus 360 applied for a license in five different counties. Macon county was the only one that got approved. The owners said one quality that will separate them from other businesses is having their own growth facility. This means they can grow, extract, and process pot for both their own products. They can also sell to other dispensaries in Illinois.

“We’re looking forward to that. It’s definitely a unique proposition in our case, where we would be able to control the quality of the product from end to end,” Balakrishnan said.

The dispensary will open this summer. Officials said they are committed to providing high-quality products and will make sure they’re distributed in a safe and responsible way.

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