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Medical Marijuana Program Continues To Next Step

WBEZ

  Gov. Bruce Rauner has announced a list of the companies that'll be able to grow and sell medical marijuana in Illinois.

Illinois law spelled out what was supposed to be a blind process to select who'd get the potentially-lucrative pot licenses. Though it appears as if former Gov. Pat Quinn's administration had selected winners, he finished his term last month without awarding any.

That seemingly put the whole program in jeopardy. Rauner had criticized the application process when he was running for governor, but he's going ahead with it. His office sent out a list of companies that'll become regional cultivation centers and dispensaries of the drug. But that's only in certain areas -- other applicants are on hold.

A memo from Rauner's top attorney identified problems with the Quinn administration's process, like disqualifying applicants without clear reasons.

The lawyer says decisions made by Quinn's crew would not have withstood a lawsuit. He apologized to patients for the additional delay.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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