The Politics of Pot


GOP candidate for governor Bruce Rauner says the process to become a medical marijuana grower or seller is rigged to benefit the politically connected. Is it? Paris Schutz takes a closer look.


Bruce Rauner has one message for Governor Pat Quinn.

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“Governor, the jig is up,” he said in a press release Tuesday.  “The application process for medical marijuana should not be held in secret where insiders win and taxpayers lose; it should be open and transparent.”

Particularly, Rauner finds fault with Quinn’s legislative ability (via the Illinois Department of Agriculture) to select the winners of Illinois’ 22 “cultivation center” licenses and 60 medical marijuana dispensary licenses.

“The medical marijuana process is straight out of the Rod Blagojevich playbook,” Rauner said. He calls for the Illinois General Assembly to pass new legislation, authorizing a transparent process that allows pre-approved applicants to bid on growing and dispensary licenses.

Since the state began accepting medical marijuana ID card applications earlier in the month, more than 2,000 people registered

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