Illinois NORML: Business of Medical Cannabis

In anticipation of the new medical cannabis program beginning January 1, the State of Illinois has released a website specifically for the pilot program.

The Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program website has information for patients, potential business owners and medical professionals. The new website consolidates information that was available on the websites of each of the individual agencies that are going to be overseeing and regulating different aspects of the program: these include the Illinois Departments of Agriculture, Professional & Financial Regulations, and Public Health.

“The new website has made my life easier,” quipped Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (IL NORML), “that’s because it centralizes the details for the new program. Illinois NORML has been getting flooded with calls and e-mails with all sorts of questions about the new cannabis law, so this website will be a big help.”

While the new cannabis law takes effect in less than ten days, Linn noted the chances of patients having access to this herbal medicine anytime soon are slim: “All of the medicine must be grown within Illinois by licensed cultivation centers; the state doesn’t anticipate those licenses being issued, or medical cannabis being grown, until 2015.”

“The 2015 timeframe,” Linn added, “is based on information provided by the Department of Agriculture on the time needed to license the cultivation centers.”

Illinois will spend most of the first year of pilot program writing rules and regulations for the new industry: “Illinois lawmakers,” Linn noted, “have a cautious approach to this herbal medicine – so January is sort of a new beginning.”