Rauner administration again rejects new medical marijuana conditions

Rauner administration again rejects new medical marijuana conditions

Published on 1/29/16

Illinois' medical marijuana program began in November of 2015, and after 3 months and only 4,000 patients approved for medical use the governor has again rejected multiple new conditions to be added to the qualifying list. Just before the medical marijuana program began the governor had a chance to add several important conditions to this list like PTSD, and multiple types of chronic pain, but decided to wait for the program to gain traction. While shutting down these last attempts to widen the medical marijuana qualifications, Gov. Rauner has pushed away tens, if not hundreds of thousands of potential patients who must now rely on the addictive and harmful opiates they are currently prescribed. 

"Twice in a row, this is getting to be insulting, especially for our patients who are suffering," said board chair Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple, who said she would meet with Shah next week to get his feedback. "The expertise of the board, the patient testimonies and evidence presented, as well as other states' precedents, made our recommendations reasonable."

Gold-standard research on medical marijuana's efficacy has been blocked by federal barriers, though evidence that the drug is effective for chronic pain is fairly strong.

Hodge points out that veterans suffering from PTSD commit suicide at a rate of more than 22 a day. He says the governor’s decision is a slap in the face to veterans like him.

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