In response to attempts by lawmakers to extend the timeline for the state’s medical cannabis pilot program, Gov. Bruce Rauner made it clear on Monday that he isn’t going to sign an extension.
“The governor believes there is a lot of time left to evaluate a pilot program, and we should not extend the program until it has been fully evaluated,” a Rauner spokeswoman said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
Lawmakers could extend the program at that time, but the uncertainty makes it tough for entrepreneurs.
State Rep. Lou Lang, a longtime MMJ proponent, has introduced a measure that would start the four-year clock running when the first dispensary opens, which will probably be later this year. But if it passes the legislature, and Rauner vetoes it, that leaves Illinois MMJ entrepreneurs in the unenviable position of not knowing whether or not their businesses will still be legal in 2018.