Medical Marijuana Pilot Program Extended

By: Meredith Hackler

Along with the extension 2 new qualifying conditions have been added. Terminal illness and post-traumatic stress disorder are now included on the list of about 40 other illnesses that meet the required standards. 

Also, medical cards for patients will now be valid for 3 years instead of 1. 

A local dispensary says the change is positive and a step in the right direction for medical marijuana users. 

However, mental health professionals show concern about the long term effects of medical marijuana use.

"We can give that reassurance to patients that were not going to have this medicine be taken away from them.

 we can make sure that this law is not only going to be in place now but hopefully will be made permanent sometime down the road." Says Dan Linn National Policy Director for Phoenix Botanical, a dispensary located in Champaign.  

"We don't want to see it expand into the use of people with Schizophrenia or psychotic disorders. Because this drug is known to cause psychotic symptoms. So, we're concerned about that as well because of the dissociative symptoms that can be related to PTSD there’s concern as well what’s the marijuana's affect going to be on that." Said Tim Macken CEO of Heritage Behavioral Health in Decatur. 

There hasn't been a large amount of research involving medical marijuana and how it affects those with mental illness. 

Through this pilot program the state of Illinois as well as medical professionals are hoping to look at the data collected and decide if medical marijuana use is helpful to those with PTSD. 

Linn said that the response from patients who use medical marijuana has been overwhelmingly positive.