Illinois Border Dispensaries Thrive On Wisconsin Cannabis Shoppers
You'll never guess how much money the residents of Wisconsin are spending on cannabis in Illinois.
Dispensaries In Illinois Are Earning Millions Of Dollars From Wisconsin Residents
If you have ever driven up I-90 to Wisconsin, you might have noticed a cannabis dispensary at the last exit before the Illinois / Wisconsin border. If you get off at that exit and pull into the parking lot of the dispensary, you might notice something interesting. The majority of the license plates you will see in that lot are from Wisconsin. That's because recreational marijuana is illegal there, but legal here, so they cross the state line to buy it.
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According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel...
Cannabis isn’t legal in Wisconsin, so residents are purchasing it in states where it is, generating tax money for those states.
It reminds me of the Wisconsin side of the border around the 4th of July with the fireworks stands, but even bigger. Wisconsin is losing a ton of money by not legalizing recreational marijuana in its state. Illinois thanks you for your business. It doesn't look like their laws are going to change anytime soon. So, how much money actually does Wisconsin spend in Illinois for weed?
The counties in Illinois that border Wisconsin collected just over $36 million from out-of-state residents (meaning people from Wisconsin). In fact, half of the cash that state line dispensaries earn is from Wisconsin residents. That's a whole lot of money that state is missing out on.