Illinois breaks cannabis sales record – again

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The state’s cannabis market continues to grow larger month after month

The legal marijuana market in Illinois continues to surprise many, with another month of record-breaking sales that was just reported. This news comes at a great time, given that Governor JB Pritzker said on Tuesday that the state’s finances are in bad shape. Fortunately, Illinois can count on marijuana tax income to offset some of the deficit. A total of $64 million was sold in the recreational cannabis market during the month of August, which is a new record for this young market.

For people living in Illinois, and especially in the Chicago area, this news came as no surprise, given the fact that the flow of people in and out of stores has been constant all summer long. According to a report from local media outlet CBS 2 on Tuesday, this is only the beginning, as those numbers are expected to increase considerably. While other businesses in the state are still struggling to make ends meet, the marijuana market seems to be growing like a weed.

“You’re seeing more product come to market, you’re seeing more stores open, and you’re seeing more people get familiar and educate themselves that cannabis is legal in Illinois, so I think that perfect storm of that situation is really drawing a lot of people into cannabis and making those numbers what they are,” explains Jason Erkes of Cresco Labs.

Based on the total sales reported for the month of August, $19 million of the take went straight into the state’s budget. This amount is almost double what was made in January. “We’re happy we can contribute both locally and statewide to the tax base during these economic times,” Erkes added.