A Lot Of Folks Want Their Medical Marijuana
By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 4, 2014 10:35PM
Don't expect Chicago's streets to be teeming with Mystery Machines like this van once the law goes into effect Jan. 1. (Photo credit: Viewminder)
Thousands of Illinoisans have applied for medical marijuana patient cards in Illinois and the state is slowly working their way through the paperwork to determine who scores in the (Acapulco) Gold Rush and who will still need to keep their dealer on speed dial.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has approved nearly 600 medical cannabis applications. The applications became available online in August and over 11,000 people started the process during the September time frame filing was open. The 600 approved applications is more than double the number that were approved last month.
Illinois’ medical marijuana patient process is among the strictest in the nation. Users must undergo criminal background checks and fingerprinting as part of the application process. They would be limited to 2.5 ounces of pot per purchase and be subject to field sobriety tests if police believe they’re under the influence of marijuana and could lose both their driving privileges and prescriptions if suspected of rolling while rolling. Landlords and employers could also prevent prescription holders from keeping prescription marijuana out of their workplaces and buildings.