CHICAGO • Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration issued a broad rejection last week of expanding the list of diseases that can be treated with medical marijuana in Illinois, refusing to add osteoarthritis, migraine, post-traumatic stress disorder and eight other health problems.

Separately, the governor vetoed a bill that would have added PTSD via a legislative route.

The moves were a stern rebuke of recommendations from an expert advisory board appointed by Rauner’s predecessor, Democrat Pat Quinn.

Adding conditions would have expanded the potential base of patients. So far, only 3,000 Illinois patients have been approved to use marijuana for conditions listed in the original law, such as cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis.

Illinois medical marijuana program to continue with 39 qualifying illnesses

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration has rejected efforts to expand by 11 the list of conditions for which marijuana can be prescribed in Illinois.

The move came in two parts, both announced Sept. 10.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said it would not add the conditions recommended by an advisory panel established under Gov. Pat Quinn.

The department made the announcement by saying only that its director, Dr. Nirav Shah, had made the decision and the pilot program would continue with the 39 conditions and diseases already authorized.

Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration issued a broad rejection Thursday of expanding the list of diseases that can be treated with medical marijuana in Illinois, refusing to add osteoarthritis, migraine, post-traumatic stress disorder and eight other health problems.

Separately, the governor vetoed a bill that would have added PTSD via a legislative route.

The moves were a stern rebuke of recommendations from an expert advisory board appointed by Rauner's predecessor, Democrat Pat Quinn.

Adding conditions would have expanded the potential base of patients. So far, only 3,000 Illinois patients have been approved to use marijuana for conditions listed in the original law such as cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis.

About 3,000 of some 3,700 people who have applied for cards allowing them to buy medical marijuana have been approved by the state of Illinois.

That's according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which updates the figures on the first Wednesday of each month, the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The number of residents applying and receiving the cards in Illinois grew slowly in August, as legal medical cannabis cultivation centers push to have the medicine in dispensaries by the state's fall deadline, the newspaper reports.

Matt Chapdelaine is the founder of HerbFront.com. HerbFront.com looks to help cannabis cultivators and retail dispensary owners find real estate in desirable locations where landlords and ordinances are friendly or at least tolerant of cannabis businesses.

It’s right to celebrate when you win a cannabis cultivation or dispensary license, but shortly after the celebration it becomes evident that there are many difficult tasks ahead. One is finding real estate for your dispensary or cultivation facility that is properly zoned in a good location with a landlord that welcomes cannabis tenants. Today we’re going to learn how Herb Front solves these problems. I am pleased to welcome Matt Chapdelaine founder of Herb Front to CannaInsider today. Welcome Matt.

Teenagers have discovered a new way to inhale marijuana — e-cigarette vaporizers, according to a study released Monday.

About 27% of high school students who have used both marijuana and e-cigarettes reported using the devices to vaporize cannabis. Those most likely to vaporize pot with e-cigarettes included males and younger students.

E-cigarettes are designed to vaporize solutions containing nicotine, said co-author Meghan Rabbitt Morean. But, she noted, “teenagers are resourceful, and it was only a matter of time.”

Vaporizers give kids a better way to hide what they're inhaling.

Illinois may miss a deadline to rule on proposals for more qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. The main sponsor of the program in the General Assembly says he’s not worried. 

Monday went by without Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah ruling on whether to add 11 illnesses to the 40 to be covered when the state’s first medical marijuana dispensaries open. That will likely be sometime in the fall. 

The list of recommendations from Illinois’ Medical Cannabis Advisory Board include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, osteoarthritis, and migraines. 

CHICAGO (AP) — Supporters of an Illinois doctor who's in trouble for a marijuana recommendation say his case could have a chilling effect on other doctors' participation in the state's medical cannabis pilot program.

Dr. Joseph J. Starkman, 36, faces possible suspension or revocation of his license for multiple violations of the Medical Practice Act. Starkman finished his testimony Friday, said Stephanie Wolfson, an attorney for Starkman who was at the hearing.

Medical marijuana is officially growing--both literally and figuratively--in the state of Illinois, with cultivation centers producing strains that are expected to harvest around October. In Illinois 18 cultivation centers were issued licenses back in March, which will initially deliver to 60 dispensaries around the state.

Patients have waited a very long time for safe access in Illinois. It took a very, very long time to get a medical marijuana bill passed, and even then, the bill was extremely limited. Then there was the long fiasco of awarding business license winners, which transitioned into more waiting for the licenses to actually be issued so that cultivation could begin. Today was a very big day for safe access in Illinois because the first dispensary license was finally issued today. Per WQAD:

A facility in Marion, Illinois, is the state’s first officially-licensed medical marijuana dispensary.