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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D