Illinois medical marijuana card wait time

[Knowstigma]

For all the people saying they are slow walking the apps are probably miss informed. The fact is the state is slow in everything they do. They dont rush anything and that’s just the facts. When going to get drivers license you can see how the sloths work. They are nice but slow. It’s just how they operate. If you live in Illinois you already know this.

It would be nice to keep this thread for updates and basic questions and not all types of conversations about theoretical stuff. People come here for updates and when real dates and timelines get posted they get pushed back pages within hours.

As for the new laws they are pretty clear. But if they don’t get followed right away who will prosecute the officials? No one for something that’s still considered illegal by the feds.

This is medicin and eventually it will be recognized as such nation wide. But for now we should just be glad it’s moving forward this fast. Not acceptable by any standards for medicin but try getting medicin in Russia or Guatemala. (Both places I travel) in Russia state issues medicin and when you arrive at the pharmacy they say it’s going to be $300 more since theirs a shortage or some other bullshit excuse. Then they give fake meds... Corruption at its best!

If you only send a few workers to process a massive number of apps then you are indeed slow walking. We know the last administration literally on record tried to veto medical marijuana. This is the type of stuff they pull all the time to basically pout.

I have worked state jobs in the past and the fact is they tend to be underfunded. I still work in the mental health field and left state funded agency work because of this issue. You are overworked and understaffed. Its the same situation for these workers.

If there is a will, then it will get done. Watch how quickly rec will get setup. There is already a bill ready to be signed that has passed the house and senate. Then it will take a year or two to get the shops setup.

We also have to remember that Illinois is a very big state. I don't really get frustrated over all of this stuff like I used to. I have accepted that I am just going to have to wait till the card comes.

 

[natureboy!]

applicants paid for a card , and calling the IDPH isn't to complain , its wanting to know "were they able to approve yet" , " app received " "additional info needed " reasonable questions.

 

[HatetheState]

Those are status updates which the website clearly states will not be given.

 

[Myk63]

They don't always contact people with problems. There have been people lost in the system. There have been cards lost in the mail.

And for people making excuses for the understaffing, this is probably a $10-$15 ID card. Multiply these numbers by $100. When you're making $120,000-$240,000 a month to understaff there's a problem because they're certainly not underfunded.

November 2222
October 1811
September 2004
August 2395
July 1608
June 1400
May 2100
April 1700
March 1500
February 1600
January 1500
December 1400
November 1400
October 1150
September 1150
August 1500

 

[Myk63]

Those are status updates which the website clearly states will not be given.

Then maybe they should have cards approved in 30 days as the law clearly states they must.

 

[Hullj18]

Those are status updates which the website clearly states will not be given.

If you don’t want to call fine, but no reason, other than to start an argument to come in here and be like STOP CALLING!

And I was one of those people, that said calling is stupid....for anyone looking for an update before 65-70 days. Maybe if the people actually didn’t give updates, no one would call, but the give updates on our status’s and again, the reason we call is to see if we have been processed or approved, so we can post on here, to inform others, so THEY WONT HAVE TO CALL.

 

[Juke52]

It's not their fault, they aren't making the staffing decisions. All it does is slows it down.

It would basically be like going to a massive food restaurant chain and then complaining over and over again to the fry cooks and people at the front counter. If you want to complain, email your local and state officials.

Calling once or twice is fine but over and over would do nothing. This whole process is likely going to get much better once JB comes into office since he is a pro-marijuana candidate.

Also this is good news:

http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/pritzker-legalize-marijuana-illinois

I understand what you're saying, but that analogy doesn't apply in this situation. We're discussing the implementation of a state law, not an order of fries at a private business. The people answering the phones at IDPH are there specifically working for our benefit, on our dime, not for a private business.

This brings me back to the question: what exactly happens to an application during this 90 day wait? Is it sitting in a stack for 89 days, and then opened, processed and approved in one day? Or is it being sent around to various other offices and entities for various other reviews and approvals, then sent back to the original stack again where it has to work its way back to the top for a final stamp of approval? The 90 day wait time suggests it's the latter, but do we really know?

 

[Juke52]

If an employee spends his/her entire day on the phone, that is x amount of apps not being processed that day.

Do you have insider information? Do you know for sure that there isn't someone whose job is to answer phones while others only process paperwork and don't answer phones?

This gets to a point I was just trying to make in another post: no one seems to know what the actual processing entails. Whatever is done by the state, and who does it, between the time your app is received and your card is sent seems to be a mystery, at least to us.

I sort of hope that there is a long and complicated process that is undertaken with each application. Because if it's just a matter of making sure all the fields are filled in correctly and then stamping it 'approved', that means there are some real assholes running this program who are dragging their feet on purpose.

 

[natureboy!]

So , by saying " not to call " , your actually saying " State employees aren't smart enough to know if they are working when the phone rings " hmmm...maybe on to something ??? ill give them a little more credit than that ! month before last , and last month , they were going on at a pretty good rate , finishing a month in about 34 days ! The program has been around a while and I don't think the current applicants calling in now , have upset the entire routine...just a guess though...the first sentence might be right

 

[natureboy!]

If you don’t want to call fine, but no reason, other than to start an argument to come in here and be like STOP CALLING!

And I was one of those people, that said calling is stupid....for anyone looking for an update before 65-70 days. Maybe if the people actually didn’t give updates, no one would call, but the give updates on our status’s and again, the reason we call is to see if we have been processed or approved, so we can post on here, to inform others, so THEY WONT HAVE TO CALL.

Good Stuff Right There !!!!

 

[HatetheState]

Of course they are working. You think the state pays someone to sit and not work? That’s ridiculous! But maybe instead of 1500 apps coming in a month now there are 2500 apps coming in a month. Or possibly, there was an increase in the number of terminal patient apps that need to be processed ASAP. The law now gives the state 90 days to process. If it goes longer than that of course people should call.

 

[Hullj18]

Of course they are working. You think the state pays someone to sit and not work? That’s ridiculous! But maybe instead of 1500 apps coming in a month now there are 2500 apps coming in a month. Or possibly, there was an increase in the number of terminal patient apps that need to be processed ASAP. The law now gives the state 90 days to process. If it goes longer than that of course people should call.

I wasn’t aware that some apps get processed faster based on serverity?

And even if it’s 1,500 a day, it shouldn’t take 2 weeks to go from September 17-20th, which was my original point.

 

[Myk63]

Of course they are working. You think the state pays someone to sit and not work? That’s ridiculous! But maybe instead of 1500 apps coming in a month now there are 2500 apps coming in a month. Or possibly, there was an increase in the number of terminal patient apps that need to be processed ASAP. The law now gives the state 90 days to process. If it goes longer than that of course people should call.

So they can't implement provisional access, which is sending out letters which they've done before, but they can implement 90 days?
Let's see, "The provisions of P.A. 100-1114 which became effective immediately are:" Nope, 90 days wasn't listed. Seems that extension for them from 30 days would go hand in hand with provisional access.

And terminal patients that need access ASAP would seem getting provisional running would be priority because letting people die while the state plays soon come is why this change was made. And here we are still hearing soon come.

I wasn’t aware that some apps get processed faster based on serverity?

Terminal patients are about 3 weeks approval.

 

[natureboy!]

so 10 employees have about 7 apps a day to finish a month of apps , in a month

 

[Hullj18]

so 10 employees have about 7 apps a day to finish a month of apps , in a month

Ahh gotcha! Didn’t know that’

 

[natureboy!]

so 10 employees have about 7 apps a day to finish a month of apps , in a month

they have an 8 hour day , so if it takes an hour to do an app , that leaves an hour for each employee to answer the phone ! ….plus they ARE NOT getting done a months worth of apps in a month

 

[HatetheState]

Unfortunately, we don’t know what’s slowing them down. And yes terminals get approved faster. Possibly with the new rules for provisional access and opioids, they are implementing new computer programs that require training. Possibly, the Secretary of State is being bogged down with address verifications due to the increase in apps. Again we don’t know the whole process. Instead of calling to find out where a particular app is in the system, maybe we should call and ask them what is slowing them down. Instead of just assuming they are sitting on our apps.

 

[Hullj18]

Unfortunately, we don’t know what’s slowing them down. And yes terminals get approved faster. Possibly with the new rules for provisional access and opioids, they are implementing new computer programs that require training. Possibly, the Secretary of State is being bogged down with address verifications due to the increase in apps. Again we don’t know the whole process. Instead of calling to find out where a particular app is in the system, maybe we should call and ask them what is slowing them down. Instead of just assuming they are sitting on our apps.

So it’s ok to call to ask why they are so slow?

 

[Myk63]

So it’s ok to call to ask why they are so slow?

I was wondering what to ask them since it says they can't give status updates. What's taking so long?

 

[natureboy!]

So it’s ok to call to ask why they are so slow?

I think we should offer them free lunch and open bar at "Darcys Pint " , sit at the Tables reserved for IDPH MCPP employees... then we can get "The Real Scoop" !