The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board (MCAB) hosted its February meeting today to discuss recommendations for adding two conditions to the list of debilitating conditions eligible for a medical cannabis registry identification card in Illinois. The two new conditions were Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). MCAB voted to recommend one condition and tabled the vote for the other condition.

After a short discussion from board members and a personal testimony from Deputy Director for Chicago NORML Felicia Santiago, who helped submit the petition for consideration, MCAB voted to recommend that PCOS be added to the list of debilitating conditions. MCAB Chair Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple was the lone vote against adding PCOS as a condition.

The long discussion about whether to include SCD delved into detail about the wording on the 10 codes included in the SCD petition, which brought up more questions than answers for most board members. Eventually, board members agreed to table the vote for recommending SCD until after they hear from an expert in SCD from a “center of excellence.”

The plan for the next board meeting, set for March 9, is to identify an expert in the field and invite that person to the meeting to discuss the latest research and information about SCD and the 10 codes in the petition. Board members will be submitting questions before the meeting, so the questions can be prepared beforehand to better streamline the process. After discussions with the expert, board members will vote whether to recommend SCD as a new condition.

The 20 minutes MCAB allowed for public comments was moved to the beginning of the meeting but no one asked to speak. For the March meeting, MCAB plans to again host public comment at the beginning of the meeting, so the board can hear from the public before taking a vote. If a vote to recommend SCD is taken during the March meeting, Temple suggested the April 6 meeting be dedicated to collecting and learning about the latest cannabis research and studies.

Those wishing to provide public testimony will be called in the order in which they register. Each speaker may speak for up to three minutes. Persons who wish to register to speak may contact Janette Candido at Eva-Janette.Candido@Illinois.gov. Members of the public are encouraged to register to use the public comment period for testimony. If time permits, non-registered members of the public will be called upon. Except for the public comment period, participation in board meetings is limited to members, invited guests, and supporting IDPH staff.

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