The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) today announced it again has extended curbside pickup for cannabis medical patients. This is the second extension of the variance that has been permitting curbside pickup since January. The extension comes on the heels of the spring legislative session and the failed cannabis omnibus, which included curbside pickup provisions for medical patients and recreational consumers, as well as drive-through operations.
According to the new variance, the availability of curbside pickup has been extended to the end of the year, December 31, 2023. The next chance to change curbside pickup and drive-through operations through legislation will be during the Veto Session in the fall when legislators reconvene from November 15–17 and November 29–December 1.
According to the IDFPR variant, “On January 25, 2023, I issued a variance to 68 Illinois Administrative Code 1290.410(c)(5), which is set to expire June 30, 2023. The purpose of this Variance is to vary 68 Illinois Administrative Code 1290.410(c)(5) to continue to allow Medical Cannabis Dispensaries to dispense medical cannabis outside of the restricted and limited access areas for an additional 6 months beyond the previous expiration. This Variance shall allow Medical Cannabis Dispensaries to provide service for medical cannabis patients, OAPP participants, provisional patients, and designated caregivers outside the limited access area until December 31, 2023.”
The announcement continues by stating, “Any Medical Cannabis Dispensary offering direct-to-car service or sales outside the limited access area must have written procedures to ensure Dispensary Agents will verify two forms of identification before providing the medical cannabis to a patient, OAPP participant, provisional patient or to a designated caregiver. Medical Cannabis Dispensaries are permitted to modify their policies and procedures regarding dispensing to accommodate this Variance.”
The variant continues, “Notwithstanding the aforementioned Rule, this Variance is in no way intended to waive or modify any statute, rule, or regulation concerning the dispensing of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries. All 280 licensed Medical Cannabis Dispensaries shall be subject to compliance with all additional rules and regulations contained in the Act and in the rules promulgated thereto or their successor. I have determined that the provision from which this Variance is granted is not statutorily mandated; no party will be injured by the granting of this Variance; and the rules from which this Variance is granted would, in this particular case, be unreasonable.” For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.
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