The Cole Memo

Cannabis tax revenue from legal sales is being used to help fund automated license plate readers operated by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, according to Sheriff Dustin Heuerman.

Heuerman said the revenue originates from taxes collected on legal cannabis sales and is distributed by the state to local governments.

“There was a question about this a couple of years ago,” Heuerman said before explaining that the revenues come from “taxes from the legal sale of cannabis to help combat the illegal sale and consumption of cannabis.”

Heuerman said expenditures from the revenue are restricted by state law and must be used for purposes related to preventing or enforcing laws against the illegal cannabis market, including drug-impaired driving.

The cameras, commonly known as automated license plate readers, capture information about passing vehicles. The use of these cameras has been the subject of intense debate across the country.

Question: “What type of software are we buying for cannabis enforcement?”

Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman: “License plate readers.”

Question: “Is this just the Flock cameras?”

Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman: “Just the Flock cameras, yes.”

You can watch these statements on Youtube by clicking here.

Credit to Bryan Maxwell at Smile Politely, where I first saw this information highlighted in an opinion article, which you can read here.

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Reactions to the Illinois Home Grow Raid Story, Plus Cannabis Arrests in Indiana | E316 – The Cole Memo

In this episode, Cole follows up on the recent story of Josh Anderson, a registered Illinois medical cannabis patient whose home was raided by police, and discusses some of the reactions and conversations that have followed its release. We also take a look at cannabis arrest numbers in Indiana and other cannabis and drug policy stories making news. Watch the video version or read the full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/08/e316/

1. Reactions to the Illinois Home Grow Raid Story, Plus Cannabis Arrests in Indiana | E316 55:58
2. Illinois Police Raided His Legal Home Grow: The Story in ~3 Minutes | E315 03:32
3. A First Look at the Police Raid of an Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient | E314 25:43
4. The Era of Descheduled Cannabis Continues for Another Month in America | E312 21:11
5. Illinois Outdoor Cannabis Rules Put Home Grow Back in the Spotlight | E311 47:27