Ever since the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, outlets are facing fierce demand from customers, and rightfully so. With the introduction of the 2019 Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, Illinois became the pioneering state to legalize the consumption of recreational marijuana through a distinct law rather than a public initiative. The reaction to this has been nothing but an explosion of demand. In fact, the projected sales figures for this year are well over a billion dollars!
Yet, many citizens are unaware of the benefits or ease of obtaining an Illinois medical marijuana recommendation. Using this, you can get unique tax breaks, buy various kinds of cannabis products, and acquire high potency buds tailored for medical marijuana users. The purpose of this article is to familiarize you with the Illinois medical marijuana card, as well as its associated perks.
How to Get an Illinois Medical Marijuana Card
Getting an Illinois medical marijuana card is easier than you think. All you need is to answer a few questions in your application, and if the information you provide is correct and proves that you are eligible, you will get the card without any hassle.
Firstly, you need to have certain pre-qualifying conditions in order to ask for a card. The list is huge, but we have compiled the entirety of it alphabetically and have provided it below.
- Autism
- Alzheimer’s disease
- AIDS
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Anorexia nervosa
- Arnold-Chiari malformation
- Cancer
- Cachexia syndrome
- Causalgia
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Crohn’s disease
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – Type II
- Dystonia
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Fibrous Dysplasia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Interstitial cystitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Myoclonus
- Nail patella syndrome
- Neuro-Bechet’s autoimmune disease
- Neurofibromatosis
- Neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Severe fibromyalgia
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Spinal cord disease
- Spinocerebellar ataxia
- Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
- Syringomyelia
- Tarlov cysts
- Tourette syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
Secondly, you would need to identify and fix an appointment with a doctor who is approved for cannabis-based prescriptions in the state of Illinois. The doctor will check all your conditions and prescribe a particular cannabis experience depending on your needs.
Lastly, after attaining the prescription, you can apply for a medical marijuana card in specialized organizations like mmj.com. You will need to fill out some paperwork, pay the registration fee (which is generally around $50), send an application to the state registry, and finally obtain the card.
Perks of Getting an Illinois Medical Marijuana Card
Now that you know how to get an Illinois medical marijuana card, let us look at some of the biggest perks of getting one.
You Can Save a Ton of Money
Despite the legalization of recreational marijuana consumption, it really gets difficult to purchase them—simply because of the soaring costs associated with them. While the government did make cannabis legally accessible by all, they left no stone unturned to levy a sheer amount of taxes on it.
The excise tax in Illinois can rise up to 25 per cent, while the sales tax can get as high as 6.5 per cent! These are exempt for medical marijuana cardholders, although they still have to pay the state retailer occupational tax of 1 per cent. All in all, individuals can save over 30 per cent of the total cost of purchasing cannabis, simply with the use of an Illinois medical marijuana card. Thus, the card will start paying for itself from day one.
You Can Purchase Larger Quantities
As per the legal purchasing limits in Illinois, individuals can obtain 1.05 ounces of cannabis every couple of weeks. However, if you intend on using the medical marijuana card, the weight limit rises to 2.5 ounces—which is more than twice the previous figure.
In fact, a number of local dispensaries have specific programs for patients needing medical marijuana on a daily basis. They often offer discounts and even separate the good quality products for selling to patients instead of recreational users.
You Can Obtain Higher Quality Marijuana
Using the medical marijuana card, you will get access to premium quality cannabis products in Illinois. You will be able to choose from medical-grade dispensaries of the state—places that contain the most potent strains, from the best farms.
In fact, having the card will allow you to grow cannabis of your own. Cultivating marijuana for personal consumption is completely legal in the state of Illinois—if you have the card. This way, you will be able to control both the quality and quantity of your consumption.
You Get Top Priority
In Illinois, you will always get top priority if you are a medical patient opting to purchase marijuana using the medical marijuana card. That is because the state considers patients to need the medicine more than people who just want to relax and have some fun. In fact, many dispensaries go as far as to keep a separate ordering portal for the cardholders in order to give them rapid, premium access to cannabis online. Waiting in line at the dispensary for hours is quite literally a thing of the past now. All you need is a medical marijuana card, and the rest is as easy as it can go.
Minors Can Purchase Medicinal Marijuana
Many victims of cancer, ALS, AIDS, depression, and trauma are minors. This means that even a few years back, before the legalization, they had no way of accessing medicinal marijuana, as it was illegal. Using the card, however, these individuals can purchase cannabis products from dispensaries without any hassle. Of course, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed.
Final Words
The health benefits of cannabis are no longer considered a myth. Doctors and healthcare providers are constantly prescribing the right medical marijuana strains to their patients. Clearly, the need for a better and more efficient method of acquiring cannabis is of great importance. Luckily, the citizens of Illinois have medical marijuana cards to use.
