Illinois Officials Will Begin Work On Medical Marijuana Rules And Regulations.

Illinois officials started setting up a system of rules and regulation to let patients buy medical marijuana. Officials from at least four state agencies are meeting to draft rules that will govern medicinal cannabis distribution. Their goal is to have a final version ready for the Legislature by May.

The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, passed this summer, makes Illinois the 20th state to legalize the use of medical marijuana. It allows patients with serious medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis, lupus and other conditions to legally use marijuana with a physician’s authorization.

Rep. Lou Lang, sponsor of the law, said he hopes state regulators can issue a draft of their rules before the May deadline. “I know I’ve laid some difficult tasks on their plates,” Lang said. “I’m just pleased that they’re meeting now.”

Mike Claffey, a spokesman for the office of Governor Pat Quinn said “All agencies tasked with implementation are reviewing Illinois and other states’ laws to ensure a successful Illinois program that avoids some of the pitfalls and challenges faced by other medical cannabis programs.”

Officials are looking into how they’ll oversee the patient and doctor aspects of the law. For example, after a patient is authorized by a doctor, the patient will then send a copy of that authorization to Public Health; the agency will verify that information and then issue a medical marijuana card. A patient will not be able to purchase cannabis without the card.

Regulating the growing and harvesting of marijuana will be up to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. It will review plans of prospective growers, and will have to select one facility in each of the 22 Illinois State Police districts.

Facilities growing the medical marijuana will have 24-hour surveillance and strict inventory controls. The Agriculture Department is required to conduct weekly inspections for all growers. Growers and dispensary employees will also be required to undergo criminal background checks.

Employees at the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation are discussing how they will regulate the 60 dispensaries that will provide access to patients. The agency plans to hire an employee to oversee the new division, but will likely use an existing system to license and regulate the shops, according to spokeswoman Sue Hofer. “We already license pharmacies, so we expect this will be very similar,” Hofer said.

When lawmakers approve the rules the agencies can begin setting up the system and start licensing growers, dispensaries and patients.

Patients might have to wait until the summer of 2014 before they are able to buy medical cannabis in Illinois. “I hope this moves faster in order to help the people this law was designed to help,” Lang said.