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 franchisee 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 retail 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 plant flower or bud, which is either rolled or smoked in a pipe; pre-rolls containing processed bud that look like cigarettes; edibles like chocolates, gummies, beverages, and other munchies; concentrates, which are heated and the smoke inhaled; and vaporizers (vapes). Hufschmidt said concentrates and vapes contain the highest percentage of THC, the hallucinogenic compound in all cannabis products.

Unlike black market weed from the past, “every product, every unit” sold at NOXX goes through strict state testing for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals, and to determine potency, Hufschmidt said. 

“I like 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 (https://noxx.com/noxxbot-budtender), 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 30 percent on purchases at NOXX. A rewards program offers increasing discounts with each visit, plus daily deals. Gift cards are also 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 total sales in both categories at $2 billion 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 $2.9 billion by 2027.

Hufschmidt said taxes on cannabis sales are much higher in Illinois than in surrounding states, which “definitely creates a financial incentive for communities.”

The state collects an 8.5 percent tax, the City of East Peoria gets 3 percent and Tazewell County gets another 3 percent. Sales tax is also collected. Products with a THC level higher than 35 percent are hit with another 20 percent tax.

In 2024, cannabis sales generated $490 million in tax revenue. East Peoria benefited from $35,578 in revenue according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.

“We also try to become a welcoming environment, not only for our customers, but for the community.” NOXX stays involved regionally through sponsorship of the Happy Valley Tavern’s Jammin’ on the Lawn live music series, and at OZ’Z Bar and Grill in East Peoria. NOXX also supports Tips to TAPS, benefiting Tazewell Animal Protective Society, and other organizations and events.

Continued industry growth is projected throughout the state, and Hufschmidt sees 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 caffeine. Those are all normalized things that we can use. I’m hoping cannabis will get to that point. People are becoming more and more comfortable with it,” she said.

NOXX is open Monday – Sunday from 8am to 9pm, and online at https://noxx.com/location/noxx-peoria.