Illinois officials have announced that sales for legal recreational marijuana have totaled nearly $11-million in just five days.
Dispensaries across the state have rendered 271,169 transactions since cannabis was legalized on January 1, 2020 – totaling exactly $10,830,667.91 in sales from Wednesday through Sunday.
Following a Thursday, January 2 deadline, Illinois officials say more than 700 applicants have applied for new dispensary licenses and that more than 600 of the applicants identified themselves as qualifying for social equity applicant status, which is designed to help minority applicants who’ve been most adversely affected by law enforcement efforts to fight the drug. The provisions include ways for qualified applicants to pay lower licensing fees and get business loans and technical assistance.
The Illinois Department of Federal and Professional Regulation will award up to 75 new dispensary licenses this year, which will be announced by May 1, 2020.