Governor Bruce Rauner has signed legislation to expand and extend the state’s medical marijuana program.
The legislation (Senate Bill 10) extends the state’s medical cannabis program to 2020. Legislation initiating the program was set to expire in 2018. Other changes to the program include:
1. Adding post-traumatic stress and any terminal illness as qualifying medical conditions;
2. Extending the lifespan of state-issued registry cards from one year to three years in duration;
3. Amending the requirement that physicians must explicitly recommend cannabis therapy. Instead, physicians will only be required to certify that there exists a bona fide doctor-patient relationship and that the patient possesses a qualifying, debilitating medical condition.
These new changes in law took effect upon the Governor’s signature.
For more information on this or other pending legislation and statewide Lobby Days, please contact Illinois NORML or follow them on Facebook.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
