Illinois Recreational Marijuana Sales Set Record In Month Of May

CHICAGO — Legal sales of recreational marijuana in Illinois set a record high in May, with the state's pot shops selling more than $44 million of cannabis products, according to state regulators. That figure does not include the more than $10 million shoppers spent on state and local and taxes, nor the $32 million worth of cannabis products spent by those with medical marijuana cards.

Illinois residents spent more than $34 million before taxes on cannabis, while those with out-of-state identification spent over $10 million, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, or IDFPR. Both totals exceeded a record set in January, the first month of legal adult-use cannabis sales.

More than 989,000 individual items were sold, an increase of over 17,000 from the post-legalization record, with pot purchasers spending $5 million than in the first month of the year, according to data from IDFPR.

Although executive orders issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker's in response to the coronavirus pandemic have restricted many activities and led to limitations on retailers, the cannabis industry was among those declared "essential." Sales have continued to increase every month since February under the governor's stay-at-home order, which expired May 29.

In response to the spread of COVID-19, state regulators relaxed restrictions on medical marijuana purchases to allow curbside sales to medical cardholders, many of whom are immunocompromised. Delivery and off-site sales remain forbidden.

Two new Illinois dispensaries received licenses to sell recreational marijuana: Rise Niles at 9621 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Niles and Sunyside Danville at 369 Lynch Road in Danville, according to IDFPR.

And at least two Chicago dispensaries remained closed as of Friday — Mission Illinois at 8554 S. Commercial Ave. in the South Chicago neighborhood and the Herbal Care Center at 1301 S. Western Ave. on the Near West Side — nearly two weeks after they were breached by looters during civil unrest.

Related: Recreational Marijuana Spending Spikes During Stay-At-Home Order