Illinois has hit a marijuana tax milestone, the state announced on Tuesday, collecting more than $100 million in revenue from cannabis sales since the recreational legalization program launched this year.
In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois has seen record-breaking marijuana sales month-over-month, contributing to the significant tax revenue that’s being used to fund local governments and restorative justice programs.
As of August, the last month for which tax data has been calculated for the adult-use market, the state has taken in about $106 million in revenue, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) said.
“Thanks to those who have carefully overseen this brand-new industry’s successful launch in Illinois, revenue is flowing to local governments, to drug treatment programs and law enforcement, and being reinvested in our communities hit hardest by the failed policies of the past,” IDOR Director David Harris said in a press release.
About 25 percent of the tax dollars collected are designated for restorative justice grants, while other funds will support substance misuse and mental health treatment. The state announced in May that it was making about $31 million in social equity grants available to communities identified as economically distressed.