As a former resident of Chicago, all I can say is…why the hell didn’t this happen when I lived in Illinois? I know, I know, things are moving along and more and more places are legalizing marijuana, but it sure would’ve been nice…
And now I live in North Carolina, and I really don’t think legalization is coming anywhere near this state anytime soon…
But back to the story. Though it was passed into law in 2019, it became officially legal to purchase marijuana for recreational use in Illinois on January 1, 2020.
And apparently, people were pretty fired up about it (who could have expected?).
On January 1st, the first day of legal sales, the state sold nearly $3.2 million of weed. The exact numbers were 77,128 transactions totaling $3,176,256.71. Not bad for a one-day haul, huh?
If you’re curious, the state hasn’t yet released figures for how much tax revenue that will work out to.
Toi Hutchinson, senior advisor to the governor for cannabis control, said:
“As we start a new decade, Illinois has achieved a monumental milestone, launching the legalization of cannabis in a way that includes communities left behind for far too long, creates good jobs and expunges thousands of records for those who have lost out on opportunities and ends prohibition.”
Illinois became the eleventh U.S. state to legalize weed, joining Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.
You have to be 21 years old and have a government-issued ID to buy weed in Illinois. Non-residents of the state can also buy marijuana but in smaller quantities. And keep in mind that all purchases must be made in cash, because cash is king baby!
And also because weed is still illegal at the federal level, and banks are wary about working with an industry that is both illegal and legal at the same time.
Time for a road trip?
