Illinois prepares to announce medical marijuana licenses

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois state officials are just days from announcing what companies will be issued licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana.

Illinois' application process to sell medical marijuana was the toughest in the nation, according to businesses waiting to hear if they will receive a license. Chicago zoning officials have already approved numerous locations, even as some neighbors remain wary about these new businesses.

Chicago residents have raised concerns about security at soon-to-be licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, but a local alderman says strict regulations are in place to keep people and property safe.

A recent meeting in the 45th Ward was held to discuss a possible store in the 4700-block of North Milwaukee, not far from Alderman John Arena's office.

"Personally I believe that the product has merit for medical use," Arena said. "So I'm looking for a way, an avenue to support the state's move in this and have it done responsibly in our community."

Ald. Arena says the four-year pilot program in Illinois is the most restrictive in the country. The state will license 21 growers and 60 dispensaries.

"Patients have to be vetted, receive a card, fill out an application, partner with their doctors on this," he says. "So, it's very tightly controlled."

Les Hollis is CEO of Illinois Grown Medicine. The company applied for five dispensary and three cultivation licenses; two in Chicago, others in the suburbs.

"If you look at the other 23 states and the District of Columbia that have similar medical cannabis laws, this one is the most regulated, the most strict," Hollis says.

Hollis says he believes the Illinois law will be the template for other states trying to pass medical marijuana legislation.

"We think it's going to create a good platform to start and we'll see how this industry evolves over time," he said.

READ MORE: The I-Team reveals how marijuana farms and dispensaries will be protected once they open in Illinois. "High Security" looks at the armed guards and armored trucks that will hit the streets to protect the public, the pot and the proceeds.