{"id":94101,"date":"2017-10-30T16:55:07","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T20:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/?p=94101"},"modified":"2025-01-29T21:06:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T02:06:21","slug":"illinois-medical-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/illinois-medical-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is How to Get Your Illinois Medical Marijuana Card"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medical marijuana is cannabis used for medicinal purposes. The legalization of medical marijuana in the United States has had a tumultuous and harried history (<\/span>1<\/span><\/a>). Like many other “hot button” issues with socio-cultural and political ramifications, the topic of Illinois medical marijuana has been left primarily at the behest of the individual states with some proving more “liberal” on the issue than others. <\/span><\/p>\n

California was the first to decriminalize medical marijuana use in 1996. <\/span><\/p>\n

The state allowed the first legal medical marijuana dispensary, the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana (<\/span>2<\/span><\/a>), in Fairfax. Since then, 29 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation permitting the possession, use, and distribution of medical cannabis in some form. Even so, most states are highly restrictive (<\/span>3<\/span><\/a>) on who can receive medical marijuana.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cannabis remains prohibited as a Schedule 1 substance at the federal level, whether it be for possession, use or distribution. This is per the 1970 Controlled Substances Act in which cannabis is outlawed after first being prohibited by the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act. <\/span><\/p>\n

Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) Law in Illinois: A Background<\/h2>\n

Illinois became the 20th state <\/span>in the Union to legalize medical marijuana with the 2013 Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, Public Act 98-0122 (hereafter “the Act”). Fundamentally, this state law ensures that an individual diagnosed with one or more debilitating conditions is eligible to apply for a medical cannabis registry identification card. This can only be obtained with a written certification from a physician specifying the condition. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Act established a patient registry program to protect the registered qualifying patients and their registered appointed caregivers against \u201carrest, prosecution, or denial of any right or privilege.\u201d The legislation also made provision for cultivation centers and dispensing organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Illinois lawmakers legalized a four-year pilot in 2013, but the first sales didn\u2019t occur until November 2015. The pilot program was set to expire at the end of 2017. However, in 2016, Governor Bruce Rauner extended the program (<\/span>5<\/span><\/a>) for another 2\u00bd years. It was felt that the remaining time simply was not sufficient to gauge the efficacy and success of the pilot program. <\/span><\/p>\n

Veterans receiving health services at a Veteran Affairs (VA) facility are excluded from the Act. <\/span>Veterans must submit one year of medical records from the VA facility where they receive services. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Act was amended in 2015 to include eligibility for children under age 18. It was further extended in 2016 for a further four years, i.e., until July 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Illinois Medical Marijuana Registration Process<\/h2>\n

Patients and caregivers must register with the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, which is run by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), to obtain a medical cannabis registration card.<\/span><\/p>\n

Medical Requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n

There are strict medical requirements for a patient to qualify for a medical cannabis registration card in the state of Illinois. The patient must have what is known as a “Qualifying Debilitating Medical Condition.” (<\/span>7<\/span><\/a>) This can include one or more of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n