A wide range of healthcare issues drew headlines in 2019, disrupting the lives of millions of Americans. Here are some highlights from Side Effects Public Media's coverage across the Midwest.

Possession and consumption of the drug without a medical card will still be illegal in Missouri in the new year. But there’s nothing limiting residents from crossing the Mississippi River and consuming marijuana legally in Illinois as of Jan. 1. 

Recreational marijuana is set to become legal in Illinois on January 1. That leaves officials in cities and towns across the state with less than a month to figure out how they will be handling sales and tax revenues from the industry.

Missouri has already approved more than 17,000 patients for its yet-to-be-launched medical marijuana program — a stark contrast to neighboring Illinois, which had fewer than 3,000 patients in the first 10 months. 

The top administrator at Missouri’s sole abortion provider testified during the last day of a hearing that state officials had become increasingly combative in relations with the clinic during the past year.