Quinn: State Working on Medical Marijuana ‘As Best We Can’

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says research is still underway as his administration decides which businesses will receive permits to begin the state's pilot medical marijuana program.

Last week Quinn's administration conceded it missed its end-of-the-year target to announce the permit recipients. On Sunday, Quinn told the Chicago Sun-Times that "it is a complicated law and we're working on it as best we can." The governor says "there's a lot of research to be done, and it has to be done right."

The Illinois Department of Agriculture received 159 applications for cultivation centers and expects to award 21 licenses to growers, one in each Illinois State Police district. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation received 214 applications for dispensaries and expects to grant up to 60 permits.