Gov. Bruce Rauner's office has issued licenses to 18 medical marijuana cultivation centers and 52 retail stores. (Photo courtesy Bruce Rauner)
By Illinois News Network
SPRINGFIELD – After more than a month past a deadline, letters issuing permits to cultivation and dispensary centers for Illinois’ Medical Cannabis Pilot Program are in the mail. That’s the word from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration Monday afternoon.
In a press release featuring the names of eighteen applicants for cultivation centers for the 22 districts and more than sixty dispensaries being approved, Rauner’s general counsel Jason Barclay said districts without approved cultivation centers are awaiting further review. There are also several dispensaries pending further review.
Companies with plans to build cultivation centers in Delavan, Lincoln and Dwight were given licenses, while two companies that have considered retail shops in Normal were granted licenses.
The delayed permits were expected before the end of last year under then Gov. Pat Quinn, but he neglected to issue permits leaving investors and approved patients wondering what would happen to the pilot program.
Rauner’s counsel: 'We apologize the patient community'
Rauner apologized to the medical marijuana patient community for the delay in approving permits for the program’s cultivation and dispensary centers.
In a statement from Rauner’s legal team, Barclay said the Quinn administration's handling of permits for prospective cultivation and dispensary centers created a risk of substantial and costly litigation. After working with the Attorney General's office, Rauner’s legal team determined that the former administration had arbitrary scoring "cut-offs" that were not expressly contemplated or provided by law, among other issues.
The former administration also conducted character and fitness reviews of the applicants after the blind scoring process was completed which led to several applicants being disqualified without clear procedures and standards.
