Illinois Posts Strong March Sales, New York Legalization Stalls Again
April 7, 2020Illinois topped $30 million in cannabis sales for the third straight month in March, reaching $35.9 million. Some 812,000 items were purchased in total, with Illinois residents spending approximately $27 million and out-of-staters accounting for the other $8.8 million. Per an executive order from March 20, both medical and recreational cannabis retail in Illinois will remain open through the current pandemic, and curbside pickup will be allowed for medical patients through the end of April. Illinois’ adult-use sales surpassed $110 million from January through March.
Meanwhile, New York state has passed its annual budget, once again leaving out the cannabis legalization clause that Governor Cuomo and others had hoped to include. Unlike last year, when the legislature then took up the issue on its own, state lawmakers have indicated that non-inclusion in the budget will put the possibility of legalization on ice for this year. While divisions over social equity provisions and tax revenue remain, the main blame can be laid on COVID-19, which has absorbed lawmakers’ attention as it ravages New York.—Danny Sullivan
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