Illinois Residents: You Can Still Comment On Proposed Medical Marijuana Rules

The Department of Public Health recently issued proposed rules that would help establish Illinois’ medical marijuana registry and allow qualifying medical conditions to be added. While there is an official deadline of Friday, February 7 for submitting comments, staffers will continue to review comments that are submitted later.

If you have not yet provided your comments, you may do so by emailing them to DPH.MedicalCannabis@illinois.gov or by mailing them to:

Division of Medical Cannabis
Illinois Department of Public Health
535 W. Jefferson Street
Springfield, Illinois 62761-0001

ATTN: Rulemaking

The Marijuana Policy Project is concerned about the proposed cost to apply to become a qualifying patient, which is currently $150 for most people. Most state medical marijuana programs run with large surpluses and have a lower registration fee. We believe the fee should be $75. While we were pleased that the health department proposed a reduced fee of $75 for individuals receiving Social Security assistance, even that fee would be excessive. We recommend it be lowered to $25.

In addition, the proposed rules would require the department to provide notice to prospective patients and caregivers that they may lose the right to have firearms. We do not believe this notice is required under state law, nor does it accurately interpret state gun laws. Accordingly, we are asking the department to drop this statement from their proposed rules.

If you are an Illinois resident, please take a moment to review the rules and provide your comments to the department.