To qualify for medical cannabis in Illinois, you must be at least 18 years or older with proof of Illinois residency and an active diagnosis of one or more of Illinois’s 50 qualifying conditions. Minors must have recommendations from two physicians and consent from their legal guardian.

Illinois has more than 50 allowable conditions, including:

• ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• An alternative to opioid treatment
• Anorexia nervosa
• Arnold-Chiari malformation
• Autism
• Cachexia/wasting syndrome
• Cancer
• Causalgia
• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
• Chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease
• CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
• Dystonia
• Ehler-Danlos Syndrome
• Fibrous dysplasia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Hydrocephalus
• Hydromyelia
• Interstitial cystitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lupus
• Migraines
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Myoclonus
• Nail-patella syndrome
• Neuro-Behcet’s Autoimmune Disease
• Neurofibromatosis
• Neuropathy
• Osteoarthritis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Post-concussion syndrome
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
• Residual limb pain
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Seizures characteristic of epilepsy
• Severe fibromyalgia
• Sjogren’s syndrome
• Spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis)
• Spinal cord injury
• Spinocerebellar ataxia
• Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
• Syringomyelia
• Tarlov cysts
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury

Additionally, the Illinois Department of Public Health specifies that to qualify for the Illinois medical marijuana program, you must:

• Not hold a school bus permit or Commercial Driver’s License
• Not be a firefighter, a correctional officer, an active duty law enforcement officer, or a correctional probation officer.

To qualify for an Illinois medical marijuana card, follow these four steps:

1. Book an Appointment: Schedule a consultation with a doctor to evaluate your ailments and determine if you qualify for medical cannabis treatment.
2. Submit Your Application: Once approved, submit your application to the state of Illinois.
3. Receive Your Card: Your card will arrive in 60 days.
4. Start Buying: Once your card arrives, you can start purchasing from dispensaries.

Application Fees:

• One-year card: $50
• Two-year card: $100
• Three-year card: $125

Reduced Fees for Eligible Applicants:

• One-year card: $25
• Two-year card: $50
• Three-year card: $75

You will need to include a 2x2 inch passport photo taken within the last 30 days with a solid background. Visit a local passport photo service to get this done. The application fee is non-refundable.

Along with your application and a photo, you will need to provide two forms of proof that you are an Illinois resident. Acceptable forms of proof include but are not limited to:

• Illinois Driver’s License
• Voter Card
• Bank Statements
• Utility bills with your name and address on them

A registered caregiver in Illinois assists a qualifying patient with purchasing and using medical cannabis. To qualify, caregivers must be at least 21 years old, prove residency with a driver’s license or state ID, and undergo fingerprinting to verify no felony convictions. They must also submit a photo for card registration, costing $75 with a patient application or $100 if applying separately. Caregivers can serve only one patient at a time and cannot receive compensation for their services.

To renew your Illinois medical marijuana card through FadeMD, you’ll need to schedule a renewal appointment with one of our physicians. They can confirm that you still need medical cannabis for your qualifying condition and help you with the renewal process. We will remind you when it’s almost time for your renewal appointment, or you can reach out to our Customer Service Department so we can assist you and apply a renewal discount for you.

A medical marijuana card in Illinois is valid for up to three years.

In 2017, Illinois deemed an “adequate supply” of medical cannabis at 2.5 ounces for every 14 days based on the patient’s qualifying condition(s).

The Justice Department proposed a new rule to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, which would ease federal restrictions on cannabis if approved. This reclassification would not legalize or decriminalize marijuana nationwide but would place it on the same regulatory level as ketamine and anabolic steroids. Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." The proposed change would recognize marijuana as having "a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence."

The proposal initiates a months-long comment and administrative period before any changes take effect. This follows President Biden's 2022 request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Justice Department to review marijuana's classification. HHS found credible scientific evidence supporting marijuana's medical use. The notice of proposed rulemaking reflects the attorney general's agreement with HHS's recommendation. President Biden hailed the move as "monumental," emphasizing marijuana policy as a priority of his administration, which has also worked to pardon those convicted of simple possession.

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