Illinois MMJ Sales Still on the Rise

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Illinois’ fledgling medical marijuana industry saw another uptick in monthly sales in February, indicating continued growth in the highly restrictive market.

According to state-reported numbers, dispensaries sold $1.47 million worth of MMJ in February, up from $1.24 million in January. That’s an increase of nearly 19%, vs. a 20% spike from December to January.

The vast majority of February sales were attributable to flower, with almost 84,000 grams accounting for $1.1 million in sales. Concentrates and edibles sales, meanwhile, accounted for just over $362,000.

Still, the main question for Illinois marijuana businesses remains long-term viability, given the anemic patient count to date.

In February, only 3,041 unique patients were served by dispensaries, while approximately 4,800 patients have registered with the MMJ program.

Many businesses remain optimistic about the future, but Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration continues to shoot down proposed expansions to the qualifying condition list, making it difficult to expand the patient pool.

The first dispensary opened in Illinois last November, and since then, total sales have hit $4.4 million.