Rauner Awards Medical Marijuana Licenses
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gov. Bruce Rauner has issued the first round of licenses, allowing companies to grow or distribute marijuana prescribed for medical reasons.
Some of the licenses were not issued, pending further review.
A total of 18 sites were approved as growers.
The state has authorized a total of 21 licenses for cultivation.
Rauner issued 52 licenses for locations to sell marijuana. About eight more are subject to further review.
To be eligible to purchase medical marijuana, a doctor must diagnose the patient with one of the state-approved conditions.
Qualifying patients pay an annual fee of $100 for a marijuana card. Patients aren't allowed to grow their own cannabis.
Nearly 700 patients have so far successfully completed their eligibility applications.
In November, the City Of Chicago approved zoning permits for six of the dispensaries.
The Rauner administration did not provide specific locations of the approved sites.
However, about two dozen dispensaries were approved for Chicago and the suburbs.
None of the growing sites are in Chicago, but one was approved for Lockport and another for Elgin.