Medical Marijuana Could Be On Sale In Illinois Very Soon
By Kate Shepherd in News on Nov 2, 2015 8:00PM
Get ready for medical marijuana in Illinois. It should be on sale for the first time in the next two weeks, as long as the last few remaining hurdles are cleared.
The first crop has been grown, harvested, processed and packaged, according to the Tribune. But what could hold back the opening of medical marijuana stores? The products must be tested for purity and potency, the dispensaries need access to a database in order to verify patient registration and identification cards need to be distributed to patients.
The state is taking steps in the right direction so people are optimistic that operations will begin soon. The first of the 3,200 ID cards will be sent to qualified patients on Friday, four state-certified laboratories will begin testing and the database has already started tracking the products at warehouses.
"We're fully ready," Ben Kovler, an investment fund manager and co-owner of Green Thumb Industries, told the Tribune.
The medical marijuana operations will roll out on a small scale at first. Customers will not be allowed to ingest marijuana at the stores/dispensaries or anywhere in public such as cars. It will only be allowed for use in homes.
Dan Scheidt, manager of the PharmaCannis dispensary in Schaumburg, told the Tribune that the Illinois' requirements are much stricter and more professional than Colorado's, where he previously worked at dispensaries.