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* Let’s hope Rep. Lou Lang’s prediction that former Gov. Pat Quinn doomed the medical marijuana program by not issuing licenses for growers and distributors turns out to be inaccurate…
The recommendations for the licenses had reached Quinn’s desk, Rep. Lou Lang said. But the ex-governor has not explained why he left office without acting on them. The applicants paid thousands of dollars in fees totaling $5 million, Lang said.
“This single failure may doom the medical cannabis program,” Lang said. “This single failure said to all of those folks that made applications to be cultivators or dispensary owners that, ‘We took your $5 million dollars but we’ll get to you when we feel like it.’”
Lang said applicants might take the state to court to recover their money. Also left in a lurch are cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy patients waiting to seek treatment through the program.
“Some very sick people were hurt yesterday,” Lang said. “And some very innocent people were hurt yesterday. And some very innocent families were hurt yesterday. From a person who has spent his life talking about healthcare.”
* More…
Lang said even if the licenses for growers and distributors were awarded tomorrow, it would still only leave around 2 1/2 years for the program. Once the licenses are issued, it would take at least four to six months for the first crop to be ready for sale. The legislation did not include a specific timeline for issuing licenses.
“This single failure may doom the medical cannabis program,” Lang said. “This single failure said to all of those folks that made applications to be cultivators or dispensary owners that we took your $5 million but we’ll get to you when we feel like it.”
He said he was considering introducing legislation to start a new timeline for the program from when it is actually implemented. […]
Lang said he intended to open a dialogue with the new governor. He plans to contact Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, who split with Rauner during the campaign and said she supported medical marijuana. Lang said he hoped Rauner wouldn’t start the application process over with his own staff at the helm.
Unless something dramatic emerges to justify Quinn’s punt, this inaction by the former governor was an inexcusable cowardly act. And, sorry, but I don’t buy this…
Quinn spokesman Brooke Anderson disputed that, insisting that the only reason he balked in the waning hours of his administration was that the heavy lifting on vetting the applicants was not complete.
“There was more work to do,” she said. “Agency officials were rushing to get the work completed.”
You can watch Lang’s full press conference by clicking here.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:05 pm
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Guess they were too busy trying to come up with executive orders to try and stick it to Rauner.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:06 pm
Shameful. Most of our politicians are utter cowards when it comes to reforming marijuana laws. They know the existing laws cause significant harm to their constituents, yet they do not really care.
Comment by Just Observing Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:12 pm
The new guy can sign off on the applicants, can’t he?
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:20 pm
Lang - if your really care so much about these license applicants, please commit today to forgo any contributions from this industry going forward. Like you said: “we took your $5 million…” and that does not include all the campaign donations and lobbying fees paid.
Comment by x-pol Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:21 pm
Now up to Rauner. No need for that fact to automatically “doom” the whole program. Lang can push thru a new timetable. There’s still money to be made and key parties won’t all back out.
Not excusing PQ’s inaction, but Lang’s being a bit dramatic, unless he is expecting further deliberate delay.
Comment by walker Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:21 pm
Quinn and flaks leaving with no class or credibility.
Comment by Will Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:24 pm
Lang is being dramatic, in part, because Rauner is not on-board with Med Mar. Yet. Hopefully he’ll come around quickly.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:27 pm
Rauner wants and needs things. Lang wants and needs at least this thing. I’m an optimist. Maybe we can get more than one good helpful policy out of all of this.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:30 pm
Funny how Quinn claims the need for “heavy vetting” for these licenses but he could fill job after job with unqualified know nothings, right up to the very end. (Yes I know that some of his picks were qualified but far from all, and all should have been. )
Comment by Sir Reel Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:31 pm
OneMan beat me to what would have been my comment.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:34 pm
A Guy, what do you think Rauner would trade in order approve a therapy to relieve the pain and suffering of hundreds of people? And if he doesn’t get something he wants and needs, is he going to let these folks continue to suffer?
That’s a pretty cold calculus don’t you think? Makes me very afraid of his approach to Medicaid.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:35 pm
==- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:35 pm:==
Rauner isn’t afraid of some cold calculus 47th. It’s why he could profit off raising heart medication 19x just because.
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:42 pm
Hey everybody, lighten up! The governor had to find jobs for his Fenwick boys - cancer patients who need relief be damned.
Comment by lbj Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 1:04 pm
Isn’t the THC in weed available through prescription pills? If so, why then is it so important to have medical cannabis?
Are we doing this for the patients or are we doing this for the purse?
Comment by Sunshine Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 1:16 pm
Sunshine…
http://www.marinol.com/
Problem #1 may be it appears to have only one label use (and kind of specific at that)
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 1:33 pm
I think this was what I had in mind: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20130422/using-marijuana-to-treat-pain-a-pill-may-outlast-a-puff
Comment by Sunshine Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 1:44 pm
Sunshine,
Don’t interfere with the narrative. Perhaps you are new here and don’t know that debate is settled and done with. Leafy material in Ziploc bags are the way to go. Don’t confuse folks with contrary information.
Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:27 pm
Lang is just grandstanding again. The bill can be introduced tomorrow
Comment by Tom Joad Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:32 pm
47th Ward @ 12:35 == And if he doesn’t get something he wants and needs, is he going to let these folks continue to suffer? ==
And if Lang doesn’t want to give the governor something he wants and needs, is he going to let these folks continue to suffer?
Heartless works both ways.
Comment by Anon. Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:36 pm
Anon, what on earth are you talking about?
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:40 pm
DD, you still thnk all those patients are scamming to get high?
If that was the case, don’t you think they’d stick with their prescription opioids? Those have a lot more kick to them.
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:49 pm
X-Pol @ 12:21….Med Cannabis Act prohibits contributions from the industry and prohibits candidates (Lang) from accepting contributions from the industry.
Comment by Are Ya Kiddin' Me? Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:53 pm
DD - Ask any family physician about the frustrations they have with folks coming in for pain pills. There is plenty of scamming already going on, with much more significant consequences to the patients.
The science is, in fact, settled. It’s outdated attitudes that perpetuate the War on (Some) Drugs that are ongoing.
Comment by Colossus Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:55 pm
Sunshine
Basically the drug I mentioned, again it has a very specific on-label use. The testing, while nice does not mean a different treatment is going to be added to the label soon..
But what about off label treatments…
I suspect that most perscribers do not take this one off label (because I suspect the feds watch it kind of close). Also Illinois has the toughest medical MJ law in the country.
You may and it appears you disagree with the idea of medical MJ. That’s fine, but it is now the law in Illinois, so lets actually implement the law…
If you wanted to hold it up, they could just put Jaffe in charge of it, that could hold it up for ages…
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 3:01 pm
The problem here is that we don’t know whether Quinn is lying about research because the program is so shrouded in secrecy that no one can ever know. It should be a simple thing: FOIA the license applications and associated paperwork so we can see what the hold-up is and whether Quinn is lying. But the whole enchilada is exempt from disclosure–that’s a fatal flaw that invites special interests and corruption.
Scrap it and start from scratch. We’re over the hurdle of should we or shouldn’t we, it’s time for how should we. Very simple: Require prospective bidders to pass background checks and post bonds, then put the licenses up for auction with minimum/baseline bids, and all in the–gasp–light of day. That’s what Rauner has recommended and it’s hard to argue against it.
We don’t know whether Rauner is for or against medical marijuana per se. All he’s said is that he doesn’t like this crazy law that bends over backwards to protect special interests. Lang and other supporters should present the governor with a bill that doesn’t stink as much as the one that passed. In the long run, that’s best for everyone, especially consumers.
Comment by Cheech Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 4:02 pm
In other business news, guess how many applications for franking permits since the regs were finalized two months ago?
Zero. $46 a barrel isn’t even close to break even for startups.
Good for consumers and the economy outside the oil patch. Financial press is full of stories about the coming shakeout among drillers and their suppliers, many of whom borrowed to the hilt based on $100 a barrel.
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 6:13 pm
While everyone who know me, knows I will continue to get Jim his product, I find it absolutely nasty and wrong for now ex-Governor Quinn to have let down everyone who put years into this program. We fought hard, dragging sick people to the Capital to convince lawmakers how important this product was to the quality of life of many after years of being on harmful medications. This natural plant saved many lives for the better. I stood next to Quinn at the signing, spoke as did Jim…I’ve no other words except to say he took the easy way out and left us in the gravel.
Comment by Sandy Wednesday, Jan 14, 15 @ 10:52 am
If transparency is what the Rauner team wants, there’s a simple solution. Each license applicant submitted two sets of documents, one redacted, and one original. Assuming that all of the background investigations are complete, the new heads of DOA and IDFPR can assemble new teams of graders and score all of the un-redacted applications, releasing the results publicly.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jan 14, 15 @ 12:23 pm