On January 1, 2020, recreational marijuana was made officially legal in Illinois, bringing thousands of Chicago customers out to brace the cold at long lines for medical dispensaries.
A limited product selection and hefty taxes didn’t stop Chicagoans from lining up around the corner at dispensaries all over the city for hours on Wednesday. Many places opened at 6 a.m. to welcome freezing customers into the warmth of their storefronts, where the first Chicagoans in the history of Illinois purchased legal weed.
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Chicago police reported that customers were generally peaceful and didn’t mind the slim selection of recreational marijuana. Once checked into dispensaries, customers often had to go through a second waiting period to be served. Other states that have legalized weed faced similar issues in their first weeks, so long lines, intimidating taxes, and a shortage of choices was expected.
Many dispensaries ran out of the traditional marijuana flower before diminishing their stock of edibles, concentrates, and other forms of cannabis. Dispensaries also had to be wary of selling out to make sure that medical patients didn’t fall to the wayside in light of recreational legalization.
Hiked prices on legal recreational marijuana are standard compared to black-market pot but may have taken some Chicago customers by surprise. An eighth of an ounce at Chicago’s Dispensary 33 cost $80 for reference.
Out-of-staters also partook in the first legal sales in Illinois, some traveling from all over the country to stock up before heading home.
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