Marijuana retailers in Illinois have already sold more than $1 billion in legal cannabis products during 2024, Gov. JB Pritzker (D) announced on Wednesday, noting that the state reached the billion-dollar mark at a faster pace than it did in 2023.

The total sales amount includes more than $850 million worth of recreational cannabis and nearly $150 million in medical marijuana.

Pritzker said state-legal stores passed the threshold this year on July 1. Last year, they hit the milestone on July 10—a sign, officials said, that the marijuana market in Illinois is still expanding.

The governor said the state’s marijuana industry—which he called “the most equitable cannabis industry in the country”—is “growing and thriving.”

“The increase in total adult-use cannabis sales, combined with the policies my administration is implementing to support communities ravaged by the War on Drugs highlights how this emerging industry is helping us set a national standard in equity and economic justice,” Pritzker said. “Growing sales in 2024 means cannabis tax revenue will continue to play a major role in righting decades of wrongs in the state’s criminal justice system.”

In terms of fiscal years, fiscal 2024—which ended last month—saw more than $2 billion in cannabis sales.

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