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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Gov. Rauner issues medical marijuana licenses

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday granted permits for dozens of companies to grow and sell medical marijuana in Illinois, though it will still be several months before patients can legally take the drug
The surprise move came just one week after Rauner said no licenses would be issued until a legal review of the process initiated under Democratic predecessor Pat Quinn was completed. The Rauner administration did not detail Monday how the issue was resolved so quickly, saying only that it conducted an internal review of Quinn’s work and also consulted with Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office, and found numerous problem areas that could open the state to legal action.
Among those problems are what Rauner general counselor Jason Barclay called “arbitrary” scoring provisions under Quinn that all but eliminated some applicants, and applicants that were disqualified without clear reasoning or a chance for companies to respond to concerns.

All told, Rauner’s actions clear the way for 18 cultivation centers to begin growing medicinal pot, with another three applicants undergoing further review. The state will send letters to the selected cultivation centers informing owners they were selected for a permit and have 48 hours to accept the licenses. Final approval requires businesses to pay all related fees, register employees, and prove operators have enough money to build and run the facility.

One company to be granted a permit is Ieso LLC, which wants to grow medical marijuana in southern Illinois. The firm lists as a manager Tom Jennings, who is a former director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Continuie Reading : Chicago Tribune