Illinois medical marijuana card wait time

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Twistedcrypto1

Well-Known Member
Spellchek said:
I feel like you're assuming this will give faster access to meds, when we don't really know yet how the new provisional access for card applicants will work, either for new applicants or for those with pending applications. The IDPH hasn't issued the new rules yet, yet you're assuming that only new applicants after the rules are issued will be allowed to enjoy provisional status. That's not what the new law says. So unless you're an informed insider (in which case, welcome) the actual details won't be known for certain until the IDPH finishes their administrative rulemaking.

Also, importantly, you also assume that the IDPH will meet its December 1 target to issue the new rules. I hope your confidence is well founded, but given the department's track record on timeliness, I'm more skeptical...



I don't think this is correct. The opiate program and the cardholder (qualifying conditions) program are not the same, You cannot be in both; you're either one or the other.

"An Opioid Alternative Pilot Program participant shall not be registered as a medical cannabis cardholder."​

Public Act 100-1114, Sec. 62 (e).​

Also, the approval under the opiate program only lasts so long as your doctor decides, not to exceed 90 days. If you need longer (or permanent) pain relief, your doctor needs to re-write and re-submit your mmj recommendation every three months. That's going to be a pain for many patients, no pun intended. So while there are fewer hurdles to get into the opiate program (no IDPH formal approval required), it's also easier to lose your authorization under the opiate program because you're automatically kicked out (after 90 days, or less if your doctor so orders) unless your doctor constantly renews.

Lastly, we don't know yet whether opiate patients even get a card or any other form of permanent ID that identifies them as a legal possessor of weed. Probably not a big deal -- access to the medicine is what really matters, obviously -- but if it were me I'd want the ID to help smooth any encounters with LEOs.
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The program is actually pretty clear based on the additions to the law and opioid patients won’t have a card. I copied some of the main ones but feel free to read the underlined additions from the recent bill

“(l-10) "Illinois Cannabis Tracking System" means a web-based system established and maintained by the Department of Public Health that is available to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Illinois State Police, and registered medical cannabis dispensing organizations on a 24-hour basis to upload written certifications for Opioid Alternative Pilot Program participants, to verify Opioid Alternative Pilot Program participants, to verify Opioid Alternative Pilot Program participants' available cannabis allotment and assigned dispensary, and the tracking of the date of sale, amount, and price of medical cannabis purchased by an Opioid Alternative Pilot Program participant.”


“individuals with a provisional registration for qualifying patient cardholder status, or an Opioid Alternative Pilot Program participant.”

“(s-5) "Provisional registration" means a document issued by the Department of Public Health to a qualifying patient who has submitted: (1) an online application and paid a fee to participate in Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program pending approval or denial of the patient's application; or (2) a completed application for terminal illness.”
 
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Spellchek

Active Member
Twistedcrypto1 said:
The program is actually pretty clear based on the additions to the law
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I have read the new law, which is why I quoted it to you in my original post. Also, you didn't respond to any of the points I made; you just posted some quotes from the statute. Which is fine, but none of those actually address the things I mentioned:

1. You told people to wait until December 1 to apply. I think that's potentially bad advice, especially for anyone who has the option of going the qualifying condition route and applying now.

2. You told people to apply to both the opiate and qualifying conditions programs. I think that's just plain wrong, primarily because it's directly contrary to the new law.

Not looking for an argument, just a discussion. We're all just speculating until the new rules are actually issued, but if you want to recommend strategies to people looking to get their meds I think they should be good strategies.
 
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Twistedcrypto1

Well-Known Member
Spellchek said:
I have read the new law, which is why I quoted it to you in my original post. Also, you didn't respond to any of the points I made; you just posted some quotes from the statute. Which is fine, but none of those actually address the things I mentioned:

1. You told people to wait until December 1 to apply. I think that's potentially bad advice, especially for anyone who has the option of going the qualifying condition route and applying now.

2. You told people to apply to both the opiate and qualifying conditions programs. I think that's just plain wrong, primarily because it's directly contrary to the new law.

Not looking for an argument, just a discussion. We're all just speculating until the new rules are actually issued, but if you want to recommend strategies to people looking to get their meds I think they should be good strategies.
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Definatly don't like to argue and only trying to help. I'll try and be a little more clear since I have more time today. I refered my Doctor to my friend and he told her to wait till December to fill out the registration so she'll have instant access to meds. She is aware that the state has to have their crap together for this to work but it's 2 months at the minimun rather than 3 if applying now. So it's not guaranteed and she's making the decision to wait based on her own research and doctores recomendations.

The opiod option can be interpreted multiple ways but I see your point. I was told opiod participants will not be registered as medical cannabis cardholders therefor not having a card. That sentance you quoted above was quoted to me by a dispensory when I was asking for help deciding if I should just do opiod alternative or full application. This was the main reason I opted to do the full application (sent september). I cant see why someone on opiods can't try cannabis first and then apply If they have a qualifying condition but we're talking about the state so...
 
A

anlbo

Well-Known Member
My application was received last week(confirmed today!), almost a month after my Dr. visit. Hoping that doesn't mean 90 days from last week, but we will see!
 
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Spellchek

Active Member
Twistedcrypto1 said:
I refered my Doctor to my friend and he told her to wait till December to fill out the registration so she'll have instant access to meds.
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Ah, I see your thinking now. This could make sense if you have a very sympathetic, very pro-weed doctor. Since the opiate program requires your doctor to re-issue your recommendation periodically, having a cooperative, weed-friendly MD would be essential. Unfortunately, as you probably know, not all doctors fall into this category. Weed is still very taboo for most doctors -- even those who believe that weed has legitimate medical applications. With weed still in the legal grey-zone, doctors who recommend weed are risking lawsuits, censure, and possibly even loss of their license (including in legal states). Reading this and other websites, I think its quite common for potential mmj patients to run into obstacles convincing their doctor to be cooperative and/or finding a cooperative doctor.

But to your point, if you have a friendly doctor who's willing to write that weed recommendation every 90 days for you, then I can definitely see waiting for the opiate program as being a potentially more expedient route than applying with a qualifying condition.

Twistedcrypto1 said:
I was told opiod participants will not be registered as medical cannabis cardholders therefor not having a card.... This was the main reason I opted to do the full application (sent september).
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That's my understanding of the law as well, and I think we agree 100% on this. Going the qualifying conditions route gets you approved for 3 years, doesn't require going back to the doctor for renewals until the three years expires, and gets you the card (which could, in theory, be helpful in case of law enforcement encounters). The biggest annoyance of the qualifying conditions route is the 90-110 day wait (i.e., the topic of this thread) but that will be going away once the other provisions of the new law get implemented, hopefully by Dec. 1.

In other words, the cardholder path could be preferable for a lot of patients (which is what I was trying to express with my original post). It's less reliant on your doctor for frequent renewals, and it gets you the card.

Twistedcrypto1 said:
I cant see why someone on opiods can't try cannabis first and then apply If they have a qualifying condition but we're talking about the state so...
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I also agree 100% with this. At this point we don't really know how the two programs (opiate and qualifying conditions) will crossover/overlap. Hopefully the state issues some sensible, permissive rules about going from one program to the other because peoples needs and circumstances change, whether medically or due to real life.

Very interesting stuff.
 
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Timesuck18

New Member
I apologize if this has been answered somewhere but I was unable to find scrolling back several pages- how long after getting your approval email did it take to receive the card in the mail?
 
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eljuice

Member
Timesuck18 said:
I apologize if this has been answered somewhere but I was unable to find scrolling back several pages- how long after getting your approval email did it take to receive the card in the mail?
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Mine was the next day lol I got the email Friday explaining the wait time and got my card Saturday so who really knows
 
K

Knowstigma

Active Member
eljuice said:
Hey everyone I finally got my card.
Here’s my time line.
May 28- Went to MOCA and spoke with their rep
June 24- Doc app and filled out paper work
June 29- Mailed it out
July 6- Mail was received
July 7 to September 7- Dead Silence
July 18 - I cracked and emailed them
July 23- received email that they had my paper work but were looking over info.
July 27- received email that paper work was approved and card would be in hand in 10-14 business days
July 28- Card in hand
So that’s my time line state not very good with relaying info, blame that on way program is designed.
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It is that, underfunding and the fact that Rauner spent the first two years fighting it in the courts. Remember, Quinn signed it into law in 2013. The program didn't start going really until 2015 (after Rauner once again tried to Veto it). I don't like how its designed, but the legal requirement is that you get the card in 30 days or less. If the program was fully funded and not interfered with, it would likely be a different story.

There is a new bill that will shorten the time to 14 days for everybody. Right now, that is supposed to only be for terminal patients. Hopefully Rauner says fuck it and just signs it as a lame duck but I just don't see him doing that.

This is an opinion editoral, but it actually covers everything,

"
Unfortunately, medical marijuana patients in Illinois have been getting the red tape. When doctors certify that patients have a qualifying disease, the state is supposed to give the patients a card permitting them to buy medical marijuana from an authorized dispensary. But though the law says patients should get the cards in 30 days or less, it’s reportedly taking the Illinois Department of Public Health far longer to issue them.


Even patients who have emergencies or terminal illnesses and who are supposed to get cards within 14 days are finding themselves snarled in red tape, lawmakers say.

That’s appalling. No one should have to suffer day after day and week after week because of bureaucratic understaffing or because the state government is doing a slow walk on an important program. Special taxes on businesses supplying medical marijuana have piled up, unspent, to a total of $11.6 million instead of being used to hire enough staff to process applications, says state Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago.

Joel Erickson, a Plainfield medical cannabis patient advocate, says that in other states, applications for medical marijuana are promptly processed. An exception was New Mexico, but when long delays were uncovered in that state, it triggered hearings and reforms, he said.

Illinois’ pilot medical marijuana program, which is set to expire in 2020, has been dogged by delays. It didn’t go into operation until about two years after it was approved. Supporters of the program had hoped to have 100,000 people signed up by now, but there are only about 34,000, according to IDPH numbers released Wednesday. The shortfall is putting a financial squeeze on businesses set up to cultivate or dispense medical marijuana."

https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/medical-marijuana-patients-pain-appalling-delays-illinois-department-public-health/
 
S

Sonterrific

Member
eljuice said:
Mine was the next day lol I got the email Friday explaining the wait time and got my card Saturday so who really knows
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Did you apply online? Only asking because lots of people say they don’t get any notice, the card just shows up. Did you call or email for an update or something?
 
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eljuice

Member
Sonterrific said:
Did you apply online? Only asking because lots of people say they don’t get any notice, the card just shows up. Did you call or email for an update or something?
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No man I did the mail in route. Took a trip to the docs and they helped me with the paper work and I decided to mail it in. I actually emailed them but there is like a 5 days wait period for a response.
 
X

x3axo

New Member
Its real folks. Got some cannabis today, none of that black market garbage that people have been putting up with for years. We are in the middle of a herion epidemic over some dumb law passed, in the who knows when 1900's.
 
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Bdogg90

Member
So I mailed my application on 7/9 and was just advised that it was not received until 7/26. Looks like Im gona be waiting even longer than expected.
 
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2kobe4

Member
Ok so here my timeline

07/27/18 went to pops 24/7
They help me put everything together from doctor app to fingerprints and id picture
BTW I mailed a check in with app

Emailed
08/23/18
Replied back 08/24/18
Saying they got my app but it will get reviewed the order it was received in

10/02/18
Check was cashed


My question is anyone know how long roughly it takes after check is cashed with the way I sent my app in

I know some ppl do it online or by credit card

But if anyone can help me with they way I did it would be very helpful thanks

DAY 69

Check cashed on 67th day
 
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pacomvk

Member
Around 10-15 days after your check is cashed is when you should get your card in the mail. ( give or take a few days ) should be soon! :D
 
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