Pubdate: Wed, 31 Dec 2014
Source: Daily Journal, The (IL)
Copyright: 2014 The Daily Journal Publishing Co., L.L.C.
Contact:  http://www.daily-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2805
Author: Lee Provost

SURPRISE, SURPRISE: THE STATE IS LATE; MEDICAL POT SITES STILL UNDER REVIEW

While the Illinois Department of Agriculture had planned to select the
medical marijuana growing sites by year's end, those plans have changed.

Melaney Arnold, the spokeswoman for the state's medical cannabis pilot
program, said this week that the state will not be making selections
within the 22 Illinois State Police district locations, and she's not
sure when those sites will be chosen.

"There is no indication as to when that may take place," she
said.

In District 21, the region that includes Kankakee, Iroquois and Ford
counties, there are five applications under review. Four of the
applications are within Kankakee County.

The applicants in Kankakee County are Greenhouse Group, Manteno;
Cresco Labs, Kankakee; Grand Prairie Farms, Pilot Township; and PM Rx,
Essex. The applicant in Iroquois County is Medical Pharms of Ash Grove
Township.

Applications for these businesses began coming forward in mid-summer
and the state had planned to make final picks by mid-December.

Insiders speculate selections will be made before the end of January.
Word is the delay is due to the lengthy process of completing
background checks on all the people involved in the number of
applications.

In total, there are 159 manufacturing site applications, and only 22
will be tabbed.

Each project is expected to employ 30 to 70 workers, be under 24-hour
surveillance and cost several million dollars to construct.

The state's Department of Financial & Professional Regulations also
will be selecting 43 dispensary licenses. The state has 214
applications, but none for Kankakee, Iroquois or Ford counties.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D