Many Illinois residents with qualifying conditions were likely very dismayed to realize that no medicinal marijuana would be available on January 1st, 2014… and would likely not be available for some time thereafter, perhaps until the middle of 2015. Despite the fact that the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program went into effect on January 1st, state regulators are still working working out the rules and they have yet to issue licenses for either marijuana growers or dispensaries.

Unfortunately, it is not just one department that has to hammer out its rules. It is actually three separate departments: The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Department of Public Health and the Department of Agriculture.

The Department of Public Health is doing its part to move things forward. Under the law, it has a 120 window from January 1, 2014 to develop the rules and criteria that will apply to the patient register. On January 21, 2014 it published a draft of the rules with a comment period ending in early February. To review the draft rules and for instructions on how to comment, click here.

With three Illinois departments involved in finalizing the details, it is not surprising that it may yet be 18 months before Illinois citizens can buy legal marijuana. However, this is the ideal time for those meeting the eligibility criteria to establish a relationship with their doctors.

There are 40 debilitating medical conditions that qualify such as cancer, glaucoma, positive status HIV, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy, Rheumatoid arthritis, fibrous dysplasia, spinal cord injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and Tourette Syndrome. For a complete list, click to this informative summary from the Illinois Department of Public Health. However, even if your condition is not on the list, a petition process will be developed to allow you to make a request.

While this new law is a major step forward for Illinois, it is one of the most restrictive of its kind. This is a four-year pilot program and the time is not tolled to allow for the development of the rules. The period begins to run from January 1, 2014. You can sign up for updates at this official site.

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