“Under the state’s medical marijuana law, patients with one of about 40 specified medical conditions may get a doctor’s recommendation to buy marijuana from state-approved dispensaries. Approved conditions include cancer, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and complex regional pain syndrome.
In September, the Illinois Department of Public Health rejected without explanation 11 new medical conditions recommended by the advisory board, which is made up of doctors, nurses, patients and advocates.The following month, the advisory board made a new recommendation to approve eight conditions: autism, chronic pain due to trauma, chronic pain syndrome, chronic post-operative pain, irritable bowel syndrome, intractable pain, osteoarthritis and post-traumatic stress disorder.At the time he made his initial rejection, Rauner argued that it was premature to expand the program before patients had started getting the drug. Since then, state officials said, the program has rolled out smoothly. Since the program started selling marijuana in November, wholesale sales have surpassed $1.5 million, generating more than $100,000 in taxes.
Many patients have reported benefiting from the drug, while there have been no major reported diversions or thefts, said Kim Morreale, spokeswoman for the Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois, which represents growers and sellers.”The program is working well from a regulatory and public safety standpoint,” she said. “Clearly, we need more patients.”Due to various delays, the four-year pilot program was almost half over by the time the product became available to the public in November, and is due to expire in 2018, when lawmakers have said they will consider whether to continue it.”
Source: Medical marijuana advocates ask Gov. Rauner to expand the program – Chicago Tribune
