The Illinois Medical Marijuana Program Has Begun

State-licensed medical marijuana cultivation and distribution centers are expected to begin cultivating medical marijuana and providing it to patients by late 2014.

Illinois patients with qualifying medical conditions for marijuana will not be protected from arrest until the Illinois Department of Public Health establishes a patient registry and approves individuals’ applications for the program.

State agencies will have 120 days from January 1, 2014, to develop the rules for the medical marijuana program and file them with the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which is a bipartisan legislative oversight committee that will review the proposed rules and conduct a public comment period. That process is expected to take approximately 4 months.