Patients Wait, Hope For Expanded Medical Marijuana Approval
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of people in Illinois say Gov. Bruce Rauner now holds the key to whether they will be able to live pain free.
The governor has two weeks to decide whether additional medical conditions should get a medical marijuana stamp of approval.
For Jessica Harshbarger, something as simple as getting ice cream with her sons was almost impossible two years ago.
She says daily migraines, triggered by a blood disorder, left her debilitated.
"I would end up in a dark room, getting sick actually," she said.
Then Harshbarger visited her sister-in-law in Colorado and tried medical marijuana.
The headaches stopped. "It works for me," she said.
Migraines are now one of 11 medical conditions that the Illinois medical cannabis board wants included as conditions approved for medical marijuana use.
They would be added to the roughly three dozen approved conditions. Governor Rauner has until the end of the month to say yes or no.
"I believe we should make the drug...benefit...based upon their symptoms."
Dr. Marc Sloan believes medical marijuana is simply safer than many prescription drugs.
Why? "No deaths," he said, compared with "18,000 deaths for prescription opiates."
For Harshbarger, Rauner holds the key to whether she'll stay in Illinois, or go.
"I don't want to be a marijuana refugee," she said.
According to the Cannabis Patient Advocacy Coalition, hundreds of people have signed a petition and written the governor in support of the additional conditions.
A spokesman for Rauner says the matter remains under review.
