By Scott Fishel

A “friendly being from another planet” has landed at 300 S. Main St., East Peoria. In just over a year, the smiling, star-eyed logo of NOXX has come to stand for the core value of inclusivity that defines the NOXX cannabis dispensary brand.

Laura Hufschmidt is the Chief Marketing Officer for the Michigan-based company that runs the local shop. It is the company’s first retail location in Illinois. Of all the potential locations in the state, she said they chose East Peoria because they saw the region as an underserved market.

“We thought we could leverage some of our best practices to lower prices in the industry in Illinois,” she said. “We just feel like we want to make sure that everyone has access to cannabis and some of the benefits it can provide.”

NOXX also sells recreational cannabis in three Michigan locations and is a franchise for another cannabis retailer, Cookies, in Grand Rapids, MI and Baltimore, MD. Hufschmidt said Cookies has a strong brand, and similar to franchising agreements in other industries, a percentage of sales is paid to use that brand.

In its welcoming, friendly, judgement-free space, NOXX offers an extensive line of products that cover the most popular categories. Hufschmidt said experienced “budtenders” help customers explore various types and potencies of marijuana in the form of bud, which is either rolled or smoked in a pipe; pre-rolls containing processed bud that includes tobacco; edibles like chocolates, gummies, beverages; other munchies; concentrates, which are heated and inhaled through vaporization devices. She said concentrates and vapes contain the highest percentages of THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis products.

Unlike black market weed from the past, “every product that you see at all NOXX grows through state testing for pesticides, molds and heavy metals, and to determine potency,” Hufschmidt said.

“I like it that it goes through state testing, because you never know what you’re getting on the black market,” she said.

Customers can explore and order products from the comfort of home with NOXXBOT, a virtual budtender that makes recommendations based on answers to a few simple questions about consumption method, desired effect, potency, and price. Online orders cannot be shipped due to federal laws. They must be picked up at the store. Customers with a medical cannabis card can save 10 percent on purchases at NOXX. A rewards program offers increasing discounts with each visit, plus daily deals. Gift cards are available. All customers must be 21 or older.

The cannabis industry is growing everywhere it has been planted in Illinois. Medical cannabis was legalized in 2014, followed by recreational cannabis in 2020. State statistics show medical cannabis sales at $210 million in 2024, a 2.3 percent increase over the year before. Recreational cannabis accounted for $1.722 billion of that total. Sales are projected to reach $2.19 billion by 2027.

Hufschmidt said taxes on cannabis sales are hefty. Illinois, like many surrounding states, which “definitely creates a financial incentive for the black market to continue.” Customers at NOXX in East Peoria get 3 percent; and Tazewell County gets another 2 percent. Sales tax is also applied. Products with a THC level higher than 35 percent are subject to another 20 percent tax.

In 2024, cannabis taxes and fees generated $490 million in tax revenue. East Peoria benefited from $45,878 in revenue from NOXX. Tazewell County received $7,676.

“We’ve only been in Illinois for a short time, but fortunately not only for our business, but for the community, NOXX has already reinvested thousands of dollars back into the local community.”

NOXX donates to local nonprofits, including a show at ZZ Bar and Grill in East Peoria. NOXX also supports Tips to TAPS, benefiting Tazewell Animal Protective Society, and other organizations and events.

“I like that we can find ways to give back to the community that also supports us,” Hufschmidt said. “When I visit other states, I see dispensaries that keep the same locally. I would say our business and our growth trajectory is successful,” she said. “We’re meeting our targets… we’re happy with this location.”

Hufschmidt said one of the biggest hurdles facing the industry is the normalization of cannabis use.

“I think about alcohol. I think about sugar. I think about things that are addictive but still legal that we can use. I’m hoping cannabis will get to that point. People can form their opinions and make their own choices.”

NOXX is open Monday–Sunday from 8am to 9pm, and online.