A Cook County judge has ordered Illinois to add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of diseases eligible for medical marijuana treatment in a case filed by a military veteran. Judge Neil Cohen ordered the Department of Public Health's director to add PTSD within 30 days.
The sternly worded ruling says Director Nirav Shah "engaged in a private investigation, hidden from public view'' that was "constitutionally inappropriate.'' It's the first decision among lawsuits filed by patients disappointed with Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration's across-the-board rejection of recommendations from an advisory board.
Attorney Michael Goldberg says his client "feels this decision gives him and other military veterans suffering from PTSD the respect they deserve from the state and the governor's office." Fifteen states have medical marijuana laws that include PTSD.
