What Is The Medical Cannabis Patient Program In Illinois?

Under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recently provided a notice to the public regarding the annual period to submit petitions for the addition of “debilitating medical conditions” to the list stipulated by Section 10 of the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act.

As of 12:01 a.m. on December 1, 2021, the IDPH began accepting petitions on forms and in a manner prescribed by the IDPH until December 31, 2021. The forms and instructions are available here.

Come June 22, 2021, the Medical Cannabis Patient Program will no longer mail medical cannabis registration cards to existing patients and new program applicants. In June, the medical cannabis registration card will be available in an individual’s medical cannabis patient account, which should be printed or downloaded.

Illinois became the 20th state in the U.S. to authorize a program to cultivate and dispense cannabis for medical reasons back in August 2013. Now, Illinois’ Medical Cannabis Registry Program is a statewide initiative that lets patients access medical marijuana who meet one of the qualifying conditions.

Below is the list of requirements a patient must meet in order to access Illinois’ Medical Patient Marijuana Program;

• Be a resident in the State of Illinois at the time of application and remain a resident during participation in the program
• Have a qualifying debilitating medical condition (list here)
• Have a certification electronically submitted by a Healthcare Professional for the use of medical cannabis
• Not hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver’s License
• Not be an active duty law enforcement officer, correctional officer, correctional probation officer, or firefighter

Veterans do not need to be certified by a registered

ICTS healthcare professional if the following are met:

• Currently receive continuing healthcare at federal Veteran’s Administration (VA) facility
• Provide medical records from the VA facility about treatment for the qualifying debilitating medical condition for the last year.

The Illinois Department of Public Health oversees the registry and manages it by reviewing and processing applications and issuing registry cards to Illinois residents who meet the program’s qualifications and eligibility requirements. IDHP clarifies that it protects patient confidentiality and strives to ensure that each registered patient has timely and easy access to medical cannabis.