Illinois weed sales remain strong at near-record $116 million in June

Recreational marijuana sales remain strong in Illinois, with a near-record $115.6 million in sales for June.

The totals, reported Thursday by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, are down slightly from the record $116.4 million worth of recreational cannabis products sold at dispensaries statewide in May. But Illinois remains on a prodigious pace in its second year of legal recreational weed sales.

The state has generated $626 million in recreational cannabis sales over six months — nearly equaling its total for all of 2020.

In June, Illinois’ 110 dispensaries sold more than 2.5 million recreational weed products, with in-state residents spending about $79 million and out-of-state customers accounting for more than $36 million, according to the state.

Illinois has yet to release medical marijuana sales for June.

The state legalized recreational cannabis use in January 2020. Total sales reached $1.03 billion last year, including $669 million in recreational weed and more than $366 million in medical sales.

In May, Illinois legislators approved a bill to add 110 new recreational cannabis dispensary licenses. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he plans to sign the measure into law. The bill was sent to his desk June 25.

A long-delayed lottery to award 75 new licenses with a social equity focus is likely to move forward this year after the state gave hundreds of unsuccessful applicants a second chance to qualify. The new legislation would add another 55 licenses to a second-chance lottery for the same applicants.

Recreational marijuana use is legal in 17 states and Washington, D.C. A report from cannabis research firm Headset projects legal U.S. weed sales to hit $22.8 billion this year.