Illinois Celebrates 3rd Year of Record Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Growth

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced Jan. 11 that the state’s adult-use cannabis sales exceeded $1.6 billion in 2023, setting an annual record for the third consecutive year.

"From day one, my administration has put equity first to build the most accessible cannabis industry in the nation," Gov. JB Pritzker said in a public statement. "Our work will continue to repair past harm while providing opportunities for communities across the state and creating a more prosperous future."

Adult-use cannabis dispensaries sold a total of 42,124,741 items last year, marking another record for the state. These sales resulted in the Illinois Department of Revenue collecting a total of $417.6 million in adult-use cannabis sales tax in 2023.

December 2023 sales set a monthly record of nearly $154 million, shattering the previous record, set in December 2022, by more than $10 million.

"The legalization of adult-use cannabis was the start of uplifting the communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs," Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said in a public statement. "The benefits from these sales will be used to continue investing in our economic growth in historically disinvested populations."

Illinois also set a record in 2023 for sales to in-state residents, according to the IDFPR’s announcement. Sales to residents totaled $1,226,855,768.68, which represents an increase of more than 14% from 2022 and marks a larger increase than the growth experienced in 2022.

Sales to out-of-state visitors totaled $408,126,252.05 in 2023, which represents a 14% decrease from 2022. This decrease came as neighboring state Missouri launched adult-use sales in February 2023.

There are currently 177 adult-use cannabis dispensaries operating in Illinois, including 67 social equity-owned retailers.

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Regulators began awarding new adult-use dispensary licenses through a series of lotteries in 2022, and 133 applicants chosen in those lotteries—as well as 55 applicants selected in the Social Equity Criteria Lottery in July 2023—are still in the process of receiving their full retail licenses from IDFPR. These additional dispensaries can open for adult-use sales once they receive their licenses from the department.

"These statistics show encouraging progress that is a testament to the hard work by the Pritzker Administration, lawmakers and stakeholders in ensuring we create a process that's accessible to everyone, no matter their gender, race or where in Illinois they call home," IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr., said in a public statement. "I'm proud of the simplified application process we've created to ensure an inclusive cannabis industry and look forward to welcoming even more professionals to the most equitable industry in the country."

Meanwhile, Illinois’ medical cannabis sales totaled $324,797,996.35 in 2023, according to data from the state.