After months of planning, the state of Illinois has officially begun accepting applications from potential medical marijuana patients and business owners for its Medical Cannabis Pilot Program.

On Tuesday, September 2, Illinois officials began processing paperwork from potential patients whose last names begin with the letters A through L. By the end of the first week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, more than 2,000 applications had been received. (Patients with names beginning with the letters M through Z will be eligible to apply beginning November 1.)

The pilot program’s coordinator, Bob Morgan, expressed excitement over the large number of patient applications in the very early days of the process. “It’s a strong indication of the interest in the program,” he told the Sun-Times.

The dispensary and cultivation licensing process promises to be a bit more challenging. With only 22 licenses available for cultivation centers and 60 for dispensaries, competition will likely be stiff, especially for the large Chicago market. (See this interactive graphic from the Chicago Daily Herald for more details on where the 60 dispensary licenses will be allocated.) The application process is extensive, and the capital requirements for applicants are steep. Even successful applicants will have to consider the “pilot” nature of the program, which includes the possibility that it could sunset after a few years.

As Troy Dayton, CEO of NCIA Sustaining Member The Arcview Group, told Chicago’s WBEZ Radio, “[Business owners] had better have a lot of money in the bank because it may be a long ramp up before they can make their businesses profitable.”

Despite these challenges, medical marijuana is coming to Illinois, and with it comes opportunity. Soon, the fifth-largest state in the nation will offer patients the potentially life-changing choice to access medical marijuana, and that’s progress to celebrate.

Are you applying for a dispensary or cultivation license in Illinois? Share your experience in the comment section below.