What's Next For Illinois Medical Marijuana Dispensaries?
(CBS) -- Illinois could be just a few months away from seeing the first medical marijuana dispensary open its doors, but there are still hurdles ahead for those on the state's new license list.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov takes a look at what happens now.
Brad Zerman got his official letter from the state Tuesday afternoon congratulating him on getting one of the first medical marijuana dispensary licenses in the state. His plan? To open his dispensary in Oak Park.
"As you can see the letter is quite large and I think it requires a lot more details," he said.
That's the next step for Zerman and anyone else planning to grow and sell the drug. On Monday, Governor Bruce Rauner granted 52 dispensary licenses and 18 cultivation licenses for medical marijuana after reviewing dozens of applications. But its availability is still months away.
"We anticipate at least a four to six month period for them to begin cultivation, grow the medicine, then have it ready for distribution," said Ali Nagib with Illinois NORML. "Because all the medicine is being grown in Illinois, it all has to be started. None of these plants have been started yet."
Zerman thinks four months is too ambitious, but once growers are ready to sell, they are free to sell to any licensed dispensaries in the state.
"Everyone can set their own wholesale prices and retail prices," Zerman said.
Patients also have to be approved by the state in order to buy medical marijuana. So far, Illinois NORML says only about 650 patients have gotten the green light while more than thousands more are either hoping to get it or have been denied.
