Why Is Illinois Medical Marijuana Program Growing So Slowly?

By Meha Ahmad
In this Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 photo, Shamay Flaharty, of Lewiston, Ill., who has multiple sclerosis and is hoping cannabis will help ease her pain and headaches, meets with Eric Sweatt, partner and manager of Salveo Health and Wellness, a licensed medical cannabis dispensary, in Canton, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
Shamay Flaharty of Lewiston, Ill., who has multiple sclerosis and is hoping cannabis will help ease her pain and headaches, meets with Eric Sweatt, partner and manager of Salveo Health and Wellness, a licensed medical cannabis dispensary, in Canton, Ill, on Oct. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
In this Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 photo, Shamay Flaharty, of Lewiston, Ill., who has multiple sclerosis and is hoping cannabis will help ease her pain and headaches, meets with Eric Sweatt, partner and manager of Salveo Health and Wellness, a licensed medical cannabis dispensary, in Canton, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
Shamay Flaharty of Lewiston, Ill., who has multiple sclerosis and is hoping cannabis will help ease her pain and headaches, meets with Eric Sweatt, partner and manager of Salveo Health and Wellness, a licensed medical cannabis dispensary, in Canton, Ill, on Oct. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Why Is Illinois Medical Marijuana Program Growing So Slowly?

By Meha Ahmad
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It’s been more than two years since Illinois legalized the use of medical marijuana, and at least 28 other states have laws on the books legalizing the medicinal use of cannabis.

But program growth and sales haven’t reached anticipated goals, despite the state’s head start in the industry. 

Morning Shift talks to Chicago Tribune business reporter Ally Marotti about why Illinois’s medical marijuana program isn’t where investors hoped it would be, and the political factors that come into play.