After a year of unexpectedly high sales during COVID-19, Illinois’ fledgling recreational marijuana industry is looking to make 2021 an even better year.
Cannabis sales in Illinois were higher than anticipated given the COVID-19 crisis, according to a NPR report.
Adult recreational use of marijuana has been legal in Illinois for a year, and this past year has allowed the industry to learn a few things. Medical marijuana suppliers made the transition to recreational sales smoothly, but for those trying to break into the industry, last year was a total bust, said Portia Mittons from the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois.
The main problem came down to licensing.
“The licenses weren’t given out,” Mittons said. “There were a lot of holdups. No one new was able to get a license.”
After results from the license lottery showed the scoring system to be inequitable, or as Mittons called it, “jacked up,” no new licenses ended up being allocated.
Mittons, also owner of the Coughie Pot Dispensary, pointed out another problem involving the ratio of producer to dispensary licenses slated to be allocated. Right now, the state’s plan gives out more licenses for dispensaries than for growers.
“If you have 200 stores and 20 producers you’re going to have a shortage,” said Mittons. “There’s already a shortage in the existing dispensaries and cultivators.”
Mittons said that if this imbalance isn’t rectified, it will not only lead to a top heavy industry but it will eventually affect prices.
“It will drive the cost up if that is not mitigated in some way,” Mittons said.
Currently, the state allows for 40 producer licenses but they are asking for 60, Mittons said.
Going forward, the industry hopes with some tweaks they can have an even better year of sales than 2020, Mittons said. She thinks Illinois will see more people of color and small independent operators in the market in 2021.
“It looks like the marketplace the intent of the law wanted to do,” Mittons said.
One way they plan to encourage smaller operators into the industry is through education.
“Colleges and universities will have courses as well as individual organizations that do training will have courses that help people become more acclimated and learn what they need to learn about the cannabis industry.”
As a result of a diverse marketplace, the industry will get more creative with the products and provide a larger supply of quality products, said Mittons.