IL House Approves Bill to Extend Medical Marijuana Program

The Illinois House has passed a bill to extend the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, which is set to expire on January 1, 2018.

House Bill 3299 was approved 81 to 28 in a floor vote. The bill would extend the expiration date of the state’s medical marijuana program, which has yet to provide access to medical marijuana for a single patient because dispensaries are not yet open, but are expected to open in the summer of 2015.

The bill will also extend the expiration date of all medical marijuana identification cards that are issued before the first dispensary registration certificate is issued by a period of 1 year, without additional cost to the patient.

To date, no dispensaries have been licensed in a process that has been heavily criticized for numerous delays and political controversy.

An estimated 2,000 patients have been approved to register for the program.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is opposed to extending the program, however, which could stall the bill’s progress or lead to a veto of the bill.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.