Contraversial New Store

What's going on?

​By now most people have probably noticed the new smoke shop in the little "caboose" on Waukegan Road. Some people have contacted Shields Township and Lake County with concerns about signage, merchandise, or operations.

​Here is a response from Lake County Planning, Building and Development:

---

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the tobacco store at 211/207 N. Waukegan Road, Lake Bluff. Lake County Planning, Building and Development (PB&D), along with the Health Department and State’s Attorney’s Office, are actively examining the issues that have been identified and offer the following information in response.

Signage
Per the standards of the Lake County, Illinois Code of Ordinances, all properties must comply with the established regulations for signs that pertain to the individual sign area, sign height, sign location, and the maximum total permitted sign area on a lot. However, except in limited circumstances, local governments are prohibited from regulating content; as such, the County’s standards are content-neutral. Further, the State of Illinois has no restrictions on advertising related to smoking, vaping, or CBD products.

Sales of Certain Products
The Lake County Health Department does not regulate CBD products. It is permissible to legally sell CBD oil without a special license in Illinois as long as the product is derived from hemp, contains under 0.3 percent THC, and is not infused into a food product. Kratom, another product being offered for sale at the property, is not regulated by Lake County nor prohibited under Illinois law.

Site Operations
At this time, staff have identified, through an on-site inspection, recent improvements that the business owner has made on the property that deviate from the plans approved during the building permit and site plan reviews. Please be aware that Lake County Planning and Code Enforcement staff is actively working to bring the site back into compliance and will take any and all actions needed to do so.
​
We hope this helps provide clarification on the situation as it currently stands. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our respective departments with additional questions or concerns.