Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jan 2014
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Copyright: 2014 Sun-Times Media, LLC
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/5QwXAJWY
Website: http://www.suntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81
Author: Tina Sfondeles

USERS MIGHT PAY $150 A YEAR, REGISTER IN FALL

Illinois residents who qualify for medical marijuana would pay $150 a
year and undergo a criminal background check under draft regulations
revealed Tuesday. And some might be able to apply as soon as September.

A sweeping 48-page draft notice of proposed rules has been posted
online at mcpp.illinois.gov, giving Illinoisans time to review the
details on everything from who can register, where cannabis can be
used and how patients with conditions that aren't approved can file
petitions before an advisory board to prove their case.

To qualify for medical marijuana, you must be an Illinois resident, at
least age 18, with a qualifying medical condition - one of more than
40 conditions including cancer, AIDS and glaucoma - and must have a
signed medical recommendation for the use of medical cannabis. You
also would undergo a fingerprint-based background check, of which you
are subject to the cost.

Patients whose last name begins with letters A through L can submit an
application between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31. Those with last names
beginning with M through Z can apply Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The
annual fee to register for qualifying patients is $150, but patients
with Federal Social Security Disability Income can get a 50 percent
discount.

Medical cannabis won't be allowed on school buses or on school
properties, including preschools, primary and secondary schools. It
also will be illegal to have cannabis in a vehicle unless the medical
cannabis is in a "secured, sealed, tamper evident container and
reasonably inaccessible while the vehicle is moving," according to the
regulations.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and
state Department of Agriculture are reviewing rules for the state's
dispensaries and cultivation centers, IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold
said.

The draft regulations released Tuesday will now go to an oversight
committee, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D