Illinois Dopers: Is There A Timeline For When Medical Marijuana Is Actually Going To Happen?

Factual Questions
1

Not living in Illinois any more, I don’t keep up with Illinois news as much as I used to.

Last I heard, your governor either issued, or told the legislature to issue, cultivation licenses after months of foot-dragging (or, moving cautiously, depending on your political point of view).*

Is there a timeline for when there will actually be brick & mortar dispensaries on the ground where patients can buy their medicine? It seems to me that, since the law was passed, all Illinois has done is talk about medical marijuana instead of actually implementing a medical marijuana program.

My dad, who will undoubtedly qualify for a card, is hoping it will be sooner rather than later.

*I know that this is GQ, but I feel like I need to point out that the move seemed a rather surprising one, considering that Rauner is a Republican.

2

Fortunately Viburnum is within a day’s drive of IL, eh? :wink:

3

More like two hours, to Metro East anyway, but to my dad’s house it’s a solid 3.5.

4

Buildings to be built, seeds or plants for mothers to be grown, kids to be grown and harvested, final product manufactured, patient permits to be issued, state inspection bureaucracy to be established and staffed.
August/September availability could be optimistic.
That would put it about one year and nine months into a 4 year pilot project that sunsets (dies automatically, barring intervention).
/sarc Count on Illinois to do the right thing.
I crack me up.