Illinois May adult use cannabis sales tops $44 million
Despite a pandemic, stay-at-home order, and stores temporally closing because of property damage, Illinoisans purchased a record-setting amount of recreational cannabis.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced sales totals for adult use of cannabis for the record-setting month of May.
Illinois dispensaries totaled $44,317,385.72 in adult-use cannabis sales in May.
The amount is more than $4 million more than Illinois’ first month record-breaking sales of $39,247,840.83.
In-state resident sales topped January’s $30,611,632.22 with 989,179 items sold for a total of $34,095,756.45, which is almost as much as Illinois entire sales for the month of February.
Out-of-state residence sales also hit a record number at $10,221,629.26, which is more than a millions more than February sales of $9,189,701.01. No state bordering Illinois has legalized recreational marijuana.
Illinois dispensaries totaled $37,260,497.89 in adult-use cannabis sales in April.
Illinois adult use sales has increased by around $1 million for the last two months.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders, April sales improved from $34,805,072.01 in February and $35,902,543.22 in March.
Dispensaries across the state sold 818,954 items over the 30-day period. Sales to Illinois residents totaled $29,735,650.41, while sales to out-of-state residents totaled $7,524,847.47. These figures do not include taxes collected.
Medical and adult use cannabis dispensaries remained open as part of the “essential businesses and operations” named in Governor Pritzker’s executive order signed on March 20.
Although Illinois indefinitely delayed awarding 75 new dispensary licenses to minority and other applicants, more retail stores have opened, including Rise Niles, Sunnyside Danville, and Sunnyside River North.
A portion of every cannabis sale will be reinvested in communities harmed most by the failed war on drugs.
Both sides of the cannabis industry were included to ensure the cannabis supplier industry protects medical cannabis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the revenue generated by adult-use cannabis sales funds the important social justice and equity goals at the core of Illinois’ adult-use law.