he legal use of cannabis for
Tmedicinal purposes in the State of Illinois began on August 1 , 2013 , but got off to a rather slow start with the first registration ID cards not being issued until October 2015 . This is typical for Illinois , where everything state-run gets bogged down in bureaucracy . Despite the slow start , things have begun to progress with more than $ 42 million in retail sales and an approved patient list of around 16,000 people since November 2015 . Although these numbers are lower than projected estimates from 2014 , they do represent a trend that is growing with each month that passes by . The growing pains experienced since the beginning of the program came about for a handful of reasons . The main one being the fact that Illinois ’ s list of qualifying ailments and conditions is shorter and much stricter when compared to states like California or Michigan . When it began , the list included only 39 conditions ( it ’ s up to 42 now ), all of which are considered debilitating or severe . Some of the more common ailments on the list include cancer , severe fibromyalgia , multiple sclerosis , Parkinson ’ s disease , and Crohn ’ s disease . In the past year , the board that decides which conditions qualify have added rheumatoid arthritis , post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), and glaucoma to the list . These additions have opened the program to many more patients . Another big reason for the slow start is the fact that an applicant not only had to have a documented history of treatment for a particular condition , but they were also required to have their physician explicitly recommend cannabis therapy . This is easier said than done in Illinois . The vast majority of doctors and physicians in this state do not support cannabis as a medical alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals . The reasons for this can range from their personal views on the plant ' s effectiveness to a fear of going against federal law , which
“
the applicant must be able to certify the existence of a bona fide doctorpatient relationship and that the patient does in fact possess a qualifying , debilitating medical condition .”
still labels cannabis as a Schedule 1 narcotic . Although this obstacle presented a real impediment on the progression of the program , a revision in the law occurred relatively recently that now eases the pressure of directly gaining a physician ’ s approval . Instead , the applicant must be able to certify the existence of a bona fide doctor-patient relationship and that the patient does in fact possess a qualifying , debilitating medical condition . This change has allowed Illinois ’ s MMJ program to grow at a quicker pace . Recently , I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a legally permitted medicinal cannabis recipient from my hometown in Illinois . My friend Lucky is 40 years old and for the last 20 of those years , he has suffered from a herniated disc with raw cartilage degeneration that stemmed from a workplace injury . The result has been constant back pain , making even the smallest of activities an uncomfortable experience to say the least . He says that , traditionally , the doctors would prescribe a variety of pain medication . “ They ’ ve had me on OxyContin , morphine , and a variety of pharmaceutical pain medications . I ’ ve never really liked that kind of prescription medication or the way it made me feel .”
Lucky myhydrolife . com grow . heal . learn . enjoy . 43