On August 1, 2013, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, making Illinois the 21st state to legalize some form of medical marijuana. After multiple failed attempts to pass more lenient legislation, the new law is being billed by state officials as one of the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country.

“This new law will provide relief and help eligible patients ease their suffering, while making sure Illinois has the nation’s strictest safeguards to prevent abuse,” Quinn said in a press release.

The act goes into effect on January 1, 2014, and will establish a four-year pilot program. Once the pilot launches, Illinois doctors with patients suffering from one of 35 chronic conditions (including muscular dystrophy, cancer, and HIV/AIDS) may issue certifications for the drug. Approved patients may apply for a registry identification card that will be used to help regulators keep track of how much marijuana they have purchased. Patients will not be allowed to purchase more than 2.5 ounces within a 14-day period.

Participants will be able to purchase the drug from up to 60 dispensing centers throughout the state. The cannabis plants will be grown in up to 22 cultivation centers (one for each state police district) that will fall under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and patients are prohibited from growing or cultivating their own supplies. The confidential registry of patients will be maintained by the Department of Public Health. The Associated Press reports full implementation of the law may take more than a year.