Good news for would-be medical cannabis patients in Illinois: you can now, finally, get you patient application online. Yes, the state has finally got their act together and wants to start the process of registering patients.
Take your time filling it out, though, you can’t submit it until later this fall.
Doctors and caregiver license applications are also now available online. The state says they’ll start grower and dispensary owner applications in September.
To prevent the newly-formed state medical marijuana agency from being flooded, patients will have to stagger their submissions. If you’ve got a last name starting with the letters A through L, the submission period runs from Sept. 2 to Oct. 31. Remaining patients can submit their applications from November 1 through December 31.
Medical marijuana became a reality in 2013, when Governor Pat Quinn signed a pilot program into law that August. The law didn’t go into effect until January of 2014, however, which delayed any implementation until this past winter. Patients likely won’t be able to access cannabis until 2015, but will be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces every two weeks from state-regulated cannabis dispensaries.