The slow start of the state's medical marijuana program and the small number of qualified patients has prompted one company to give back a state license to grow marijuana. Green Thumb Industries is surrendering the license it won to grow pot outside of Dixon. The company was also granted licenses to grow pot in Rock Island and Oglesby County, but decided to give up the Dixon-area license rather than pay the state fee of 200-thousand-dollars by this past Wednesday. The state has only certified about one-thousand medical marijuana patients so far.
The state received 158 applications for 21 permits for medical marijuana growing centers. 1 company wanted to open a facility in Hillcrest.
The state also received 211 applications for businesses to sell the cannabis. 60 will be allowed in Illinois.
