Illinois marijuana dispensaries expect out of state customers
There are many health and therapeutic benefits associated with cannabis. The cannabis industry has created many job opportunities and revenue for the government. As a result, many states are tapping into the many opportunities marijuana has to offer by legalizing it for recreational use. Illinois is among the states that chose to seize the opportunity that cannabis has to offer.
Illinois is the first to legalize cannabis retail sales. Analysts predict that there will be a boom in Illinois marijuana sales. Sales projections could reach billions of dollars if tourists purchase from Illinois dispensaries.
When did marijuana become legal in Illinois?
You may be wondering, when did marijuana become legal in Illinois. In June 2019, Illinois legalized recreational use and sale of marijuana. This recently became a reality on January 1, 2020. Now, almost anyone, except children can go to a local dispensary store and purchase cannabis in whatever form they like. What customers can choose from depends on the cannabis forms available at the dispensary.
Many people in Illinois are more than happy to be able to buy weed legally without the fear of any criminal sanctions. State officials are also happy because they expect to make a lump sum of money from sales. Illinois marijuana dispensary operators expect many customers, including those from surrounding jurisdictions.
Out of State Customers
They fear that supply will be lower than the demand for cannabis because even some customers may be from other states. Some states still have not legalized marijuana for recreational use, so persons may travel out of state just to purchase a stack of their best weed strains.
Measures implemented to alleviate problems
Some dispensary operators said that they are prepared to tackle the problem of demand being more than supply. Some operators claim that they have implemented measures to ensure diversity in the stocks offered. This will allow customers to purchase alternative products if one type of cannabis product is unavailable. It is as simple as giving customers options.
Other dispensaries have taken practical approaches such as renting nearby shops to keep customers who must wait in the long lines. This may help to prevent customers from being frustrated and leave before making their orders. Dispensaries are aware that customers are their main priority, and to make customers happy, some dispensaries have done a little extra by providing customers with doughnuts.
Protections for medical marijuana patients
One thing is for sure, and it’s that medical marijuana patients won’t need to worry. Why is that? Well, the legislature made protections for medical marijuana patients into the law. As a result, they are treated as priority customers. A limit is placed on the amount of cannabis that will be available for sale.
At least, the amount of flower will be limited because it is higher in demand than other products. Jeremey Unruh, the director of Public and Regulatory Affairs for PharmaCann, said that there may be a shortage of cannabis flower but other cannabis stocks will be available.
The end result
We can only wait and see how many customers turn out to buy cannabis for the month of January, but with the number of in-state and out of state customers, sale figures are predicted to reach over two billion dollars within the first 30 days.
