I have been very upfront that I don’t like the Illinois medical marijuana program. Yes, it’s better than nothing. But I have always felt that Illinois medical marijuana patients deserve better. The program has taken a very long time to get off the ground, and as of right now, there has yet to be even one gram of legal medical marijuana sold in Illinois. Fortunately for some patients, medicine is on the way. Per Chicago Business:
The Associated Press recently gained an exclusive look at Illinois’ first legal marijuana crop, and the new farmland ritual beginning amid the cornfields surrounding the historic town of Albion.
Illinois is among 23 states that allow marijuana for at least medicinal purposes. The state’s restrictive law doesn’t allow people to grow their own, only state-approved cultivation centers with rigid security systems.
A company called Ataraxia is harvesting medical marijuana that will soon be sold in dispensaries around the state. It’s the first center to make it to the finish line after running a gantlet of state requirements.
I’m very curious to see how much the final product sells for. I’m sure the quality will be good enough, but if patients are ruthlessly price gouged, then it doesn’t matter how good the medicine is. I’m curious to see how long the first crop supply lasts too. Patients deserve quality medicine at an affordable price, and anything short of that and I’d assume patients will continue to go to the black market. Illinois needs to fix its program, and allow home cultivation, among other changes.
