Illinois medical cannabis patients have been left behind. While adult-use dispensaries are opening across the state, patients in the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program remain limited to a small number of medical-only locations, many of which are hours away from where people actually live. When medical dispensaries are out of reach, patients are forced to shop at recreational locations and pay higher adult-use tax rates for the same medicine.
It’s time for that to change.
The Issue: Limited Access and Unfair Taxes
When Illinois legalized adult-use cannabis, it created two systems, one for recreational consumers and another for registered medical patients. Unfortunately, the medical side hasn’t grown the way it should have. There are only a handful of licensed medical dispensaries across the state, leaving many patients without local access to the products they rely on for their health and quality of life.
Even worse, medical patients who can’t reach these few locations are forced to pay the recreational tax rate, which can be as high as 40% depending on THC content. For many patients living with chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, or other qualifying conditions, these higher taxes make consistent treatment unaffordable.
The Petition: One Simple Fix
Couch Lock’d and medical cannabis advocates across Illinois are supporting a petition that calls on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), the Governor of Illinois, and the Illinois General Assembly to take immediate action.
The petition demands that registered medical patients be allowed to shop at any licensed dispensary in the state at the medical tax rate. Patients would simply present their medical card at checkout, and the dispensary would process their purchase under the medical program, regardless of whether the store is designated as medical or recreational.
Key Goals of the Petition
- Allow Illinois medical cannabis patients to shop at any licensed dispensary statewide.
- Ensure all purchases made with a valid medical card are charged the medical tax rate.
- Protect patients from being financially penalized if new medical licenses aren’t issued.
- Guarantee that patients have access to the same variety of products and potencies available in the adult-use market.
Why This Matters
Medical cannabis is healthcare. Patients use it for pain management, anxiety, sleep disorders, seizure control, and dozens of other qualifying conditions. Restricting access or overtaxing these patients goes against the compassionate foundation of Illinois’ medical program.
Allowing patients to shop anywhere at the medical tax rate would not only restore fairness, but also simplify the system. The IDFPR already verifies patient cards and oversees dispensary compliance, all that’s needed is a policy update or legislative amendment. This change could happen quickly and make a huge difference for thousands of Illinois residents.
How You Can Help
If you’re an Illinois medical cannabis patient, caregiver, or supporter, you can help push this change forward by signing and sharing the petition. Every signature helps show state leaders that patients deserve better access, fair pricing, and respect under Illinois law.
After you sign, share the petition on social media and tag your local representatives. Use hashtags like #MedAccessIL, #CouchLockd, and #FairCannabisTax to spread the message.
It’s Time to Put Patients First
The Illinois cannabis market continues to grow, but patients shouldn’t be left behind. Access to affordable, safe medicine is a right, not a privilege. Let’s make sure the people who helped build this industry from the beginning are treated with the compassion and fairness they deserve.
Sign the petition. Share the message. Support Illinois patients.
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