Updated November 9, 2015
The Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act went into effect in at the start of 2014. The act legalized the use of marijuana in Illinois for patients with state approved debilitating medical conditions. Up until November 9, not a gram of legal pot has been provided to any patient statewide, as prospective dispensary owners, cultivators and patients have had to cut through a mess of confusing and cumbersome red tape.
As of Monday, five medical marijuana dispensaries were open for operation across the state, according to the Chicago Tribune. None of those locations are in Chicago proper, but at least one dispensary is expected to open in the city by early 2016.
Spearheaded by Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), the bill is one of the most restrictive medical marijuana acts in the nation. After years of back and forth in Springfield, the watered down act finally made it through the state legislature and was later signed by former Governor Pat Quinn in August 2013.
There are still a lot of barriers for patients and business owners to overcome before dispensaries are able to open their doors and start selling cannabis legally. Here is what you need to know about the current state of medical marijuana in Illinois and where it's heading.
The act expires after four years
In order to get downstate Republicans on board with the idea of medical marijuana, Democrats had to take a lot of the teeth out of the bill. This included designating the act as a "four-year pilot program." If it isn't re-ratified, the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois will expire at the start of 2018, which means that by the time patients are finally able to get their hands on legal weed, the act will have already lived half of its life. The idea was to make the act a test run to prove that a bit of medicinal cannabis wouldn't turn the state into a Cheech and Chong film.
Medical cannabis is only available to patients with select conditions
The medical cannabis act was aimed to help treat Illinois patients with severe medical conditions. In order to qualify for a pot prescription, a patient must be diagnosed with one of several state-approved diseases, most of which are quite severe. Cancer, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's and hepatitis C are just a few of the conditions. Through the end of July, Illinois residents can petition the state-appointed Medical Cannabis Advisory Board for a new condition to be added to the list. Even if the board approves a petition, it could take months for it to make its way through the legislative process before it becomes official.
The application process for patients is arduous
Contrary to the stereotypes, you can't just walk into a doctor's office, say you have night terrors and walk out with a weed prescription. After getting a signed physician certification for the use of medial cannabis, patients must then go through an extensive application process. Prospective patients need to provide proof of residency, proof of identity, a photograph, fingerprints and a $150 non-refundable application fee. As of November 4, approximately 26,300 Illinois residents had started the application process, and just 4,300 of those had submitted a complete application since the Illinois Department of Health began accepting applications on September 2, 2014. Roughly 3,300 patients have been approved, which isn't exactly enough to sustain an industry.
A handful of cannabis cultivators have the green light to start growing
According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 13 cultivation centers have been authorized by the state to begin growing cannabis for medical purposes. The centers are forced to go through an extensive application and regulation process, which has helped hinder the growth of legal pot cultivation in the state. With just 3,300 registered patients, there isn't yet enough demand to get prospective cultivators to invest. Regardless, the cultivation and production of cannabis in Illinois is a big step for medical marijuana advocates.
Dispensaries are coming to Chicago…eventually
The Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act breaks the state up into several districts, each of which can be home to up to two medical marijuana dispensaries. Chicago could potentially be home to up to 13 dispensaries. Modern Cannabis in Logan Square has made the most progress out of any in the city. Started by the owners of Emporium and run by a pharmacist, the location at 2847 W Fullerton Ave has already been given approval by the city and state. The location is next door to Emporium's Logan Square location, and is hoping to begin doling out pot by the end of the year. Another organization called the Union Group of Illinois is trying to open a dispensary near Superdawg in Norwood Park, but it is getting a good deal of pushback from the community.
As dispensaries begin to open statewide, one can expect an increased interest in obtaining medical marijuana prescriptions. One big thing keeping many potential patients from applying for legal cannabis is the fact that they can't yet obtain it anywhere.
Whether or not applications begin to flood in, the program has a little more than two years to prove its salt before it is automatically repealed. Perhaps Illinois will follow in the footsteps of Colorado, Washington, Alaska and the District of Columbia and legalize the recreational use of cannabis before then. It's quite a long shot, but the tax revenues that a marijuana market would generate could bring some relief to the state's crippling pension crisis.