Welcome to GreenWay Illinois! We are an online resource and physicians’ network that helps patients obtain their medical marijuana cards in Illinois. We also have a full range of online resources to help you navigate the application process and learn more as you begin your treatment with medical marijuana.
Medical Marijuana History in Illinois
House Bill 1, otherwise known as “The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act,” was improved and signed into law on January 1st, 2014. During the signing of the law, Governor Pat Quinn explained the key points of the statute and noted that it is a four-year pilot program.
The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act establishes a patient registry program for the possession and medical use of marijuana for qualifying patients and designated caregivers and allows for the registration of cultivation centers and dispensing organizations.
On July 20, 2014, Senate Bill 2636 was approved amending the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis. The amendments include provisions which allow qualifying patients under age 18 to be treated with non-smokable form of medical marijuana for the same conditions originally approved for adults. The law provides procedures for underage patients, which include parental supervision and required signatures from two (2) doctors. The bill, which became effective January 1, 2015, also added seizures, including those who are related to epilepsy, to the list of approved qualifying conditions.
The Department of Public Health, on January 21, 2014, released proposed rules, which include the fingerprint-based criminal history background check and an annual $150 application fee for qualifying patients. The rules also state that the qualifying patients and caregivers are “not eligible for a Firearm Owners Identification Card or Firearm Concealed Carry License”. On April 18, 2014, however, the Department of Health released revised preliminary rules which effectively removed the previous gun restrictions and restrictions on gun owners applying for medical marijuana card. The application fees were reduced to $100, $50 for veterans and eligible patients on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), and $25 for caregivers.