After a lengthy wait, eight Illinois medical cannabis dispensaries will begin serving customers on Monday morning, effectively launching the state’s MMJ market.
The list includes Harbory, a dispensary in southern Illinois that opened its doors last month but has only to date been offering ancillary services such as counseling and acupuncture. The state announced the openings on Friday.
The full list of dispensaries slated to open Monday includes: The Clinic in Mundelein, Salveo Health & Wellness in Canton, Herbal Remedies in Quincy, EarthMed in Addison, and three PharmaCannis dispensaries in North Aurora, Schaumburg and Ottawa.
The roughly 3,300 registered medical cannabis patients in Illinois all must designate a single dispensary at which they wish to make purchases, although they’re free to visit any of the retailers.
The state’s program director, Joseph Wright, said in a press release that he expects a total of 12 to 15 dispensaries to be registered with the program by the end of the month, and 20 to 25 by the end of 2015. Illinois law allows for up to 60 dispensaries statewide, along with 21 cultivation sites.
