Marijuana Business Magazine - May-June 2018

Hawaii The state’s medical marijuana patient count jumped 33% in 2017, as the program expanded its list of qualify- ing conditions and allowed dispensaries to open their doors. Hawaii added amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease) to the list of qualifying condi- tions in December 2017, bringing the number of condi- tions to 11. Month-over-month growth averaged 2%, consistent with data from previous years. The strongest growth, 4.2%, occurred in May 2017. The first dispensa- ries opened in August 2017, but it didn’t appear to move the needle much for new registrations. Illinois Voters in the Chicago metro area told lawmakers they want legal cannabis in a nonbinding referendum that asked locals if they want the state to legalize recrea- tional marijuana. In Cook County, which includes more than 130 municipalities, including Chicago, 63% of voters responded “yes.” But the final decision falls to the state legislature in Springfield, since Illinois has no system for citizen campaigns to put statewide questions on the ballot. Meanwhile, Gov. Bruce Rauner has estab- lished roadblocks to the expansion of Illinois’ medical marijuana program. 24 • Marijuana Business Magazine • May-June 2018