Recreational pot sales in Illinois top $1B since January

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Recreational pot sales in Illinois are smoking.

Sales have reached $1.12 billion over the first 10 months of the year, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.

Recreational cannabis sales in October were more than $123 million — the second highest monthly sales since it was legalized in January 2020 for people 21 and older in Illinois, according to the newspaper.

Illinois dispensaries sold a record $127.8 million in recreational marijuana this July, with a big boost coming from out-of-state fans who converged on Chicago for the Lollapalooza music festival.

Dispensaries also sold just shy of $300 million in medical marijuana products from January through September of this year. Last month’s medical cannabis sales figures have not yet been released.

Illinois is one of 18 states that have legalized recreational marijuana use, which is still illegal under federal law.

Total sales in Illinois reached $1.03 billion last year, including $669 million in recreational weed and more than $366 million in medical marijuana sales.