Chicago Cannabis Sales Trending Up

Originally Chicago’s medical marijuana sales had a slow start, but that seems to be changing.

With lots of recent investments coming in and businesses stetting up, there’s a lot riding on the cannabis industry of Chicago. Originally doctors were hesitant to write recommendations, the state was slow to issue proper ID cards, and the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board had very few conditions that were covered. After the recent changes in May that extended their pilot program, and added two new qualifying conditions to their list, businesses expected to see a rise in sales and they have.

More from The Chicago Tribune.

“We had to reset expectations early, but the industry is still growing at a strong pace,” said Kovler, whose firm operates The Clinic Mundelein, which now has several hundred patients. The dispensary opened Nov. 9, the first day medical marijuana became available in Illinois.

“The most recent action out of Springfield is positive for the industry and a great sign of compassion — something that’s come as a result of a lot of hard work and compromise,” Kovler said.

The legislative deal extends the pilot program until July of 2020. It also adds post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying conditions, and allows any terminally-ill patient with six months or less to live to be quickly approved as a registered patient.

Doctors no longer will need to vouch that medical marijuana is likely to have therapeutic and palliative benefits for the patient when signing the eligibility form.

“Rather than sticking their necks out about the benefits, all physicians will have to do is say, ‘This is my patient and, yes, he has this condition,'” said Friedman, who believes the change should ease some physician concerns.

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