Pot sales maxed out?

Legal-weed sales hold steady at $75M, but another new record set for cannabis tourism

Sales of legal weed in Illinois appear to have peaked for the time being at $75 million a month. (Shutterstock)

By Ted Cox

Illinois pot smokers might have maxed out on their highs last month, but cannabis tourism produced yet another new sales record in November.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation released its monthly sales report on legal weed Wednesday, finding that recreational marijuana generated $75.2 million in November, down slightly from $75.3 million in October. It was first month-to-month decline in sales of adult-use cannabis since the second month of legalization in February, and it ended a streak of six straight months of record pot sales. The total number of items sold dropped 1,000 to 157,000.

Sales to state residents declined from $54.7 million to $54.5 million, but so-called cannabis tourists from out of state generated $20.7 million, up from $20.6 million in October. It was the seventh straight record month for cannabis tourism in Illinois.

Illinois dispensaries have now sold more than $582 million in adult-use cannabis in 2020, with another month to go to complete the first year of legalization.

The Illinois Department of Revenue is expected to announce another record addition to state tax coffers this month, as revenue figures typically lag a month behind sales. Through October, the state had collected $127 million in tax revenue from sales of adult-use cannabis.

Many dispensaries took advantage of “Green Wednesday” sales promotions on the day before Thanksgiving. Now it’s to be seen whether more green sales produce red eyes for the holiday season to finish the first year of legalization on a new high.