Legislation allowing medical marijuana authorizations to be issued via telehealth has been filed in the Illinois Legislature.
House Bill 4201 was filed today by State Representative Bob Morgan (D). The proposed law would amend the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act to provide “that the physical examination required by the Act may (instead of may not) be performed by remote means, including telemedicine.”
HB 4201, which would take effect immediately upon being passed into law, has not yet been given a committee assignment.
In September there was $165.5 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold throughout Illinois. $26 million of this was purchased by medical marijuana patients, who are exempt from the state’s marijuana sales tax.
In Illinois marijuana was legalized for those 21 and older in 2019, with the first marijuana store opening the following year. The state legalized medical marijuana in 2013.
In June similar legislation to HB 4201 to allow physicians to renew patients medical marijuana cards via telehealth was signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. However, unlike the new Illinois proposal, Florida’s law does not allow telehealth for initial medical marijuana authorizations, just renewals.
You can find the full text of HB 4201 by clicking here.
