CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner wants the state's medical marijuana program to be thoroughly reviewed before a decision is made on whether to extend it beyond 2017, according to a spokeswoman.

"The governor believes there is a lot of time left to evaluate a pilot program, and we should not extend the program until it has been fully evaluated," Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said in a statement.

The Republican governor's position on extending the program was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Rauner was reacting to a bill backed by Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat who sponsored the original medical marijuana legislation. Lang's bill would extend the program four years from when the first dispensary begins officially operating.