The governor of Illinois says that the state’s marijuana legalization law has created more than 30,000 jobs since the market launched in 2020.
During his State of the State and Budget address on Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) touted the job creation figure, adding that “Illinois is home to the country’s most diverse cannabis industry and some of the largest companies.”.
He also included the marijuana company 4Front in a list of the “large businesses” that are “moving to and expanding in Illinois.”.
Job creation is just one way that legalization has impacted the economy in Illinois.
The state also saw cannabis sales reach a record high of more than $1.5 billion in 2022, according to data released last month.
Illinois collected $445.3 million in tax dollars from $1.5 billion in cannabis sales during that period.
In 2021, state officials also put $3.5 million in cannabis-generated funds toward efforts to reduce violence through street intervention programs. »