(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Illinois’ cannabis market is on the rise, according to the secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which has published its 2026 Illinois Cannabis Report.

August and September 2026 saw an eight percent increase, though total sales in the twelve months ending June 30, 2026 – the period covered in the new report – dipped from the year before – from $1,963,306,532 to $1,524,041,832. The report mentions a new “seed-to-sale, track-and-trace” system called Metrc. The system, going online to begin Fiscal Year 2026, is billed as being more accurate and reliable in recording sales, including accounting for discounts and promotions, which IDFPR’s secretary credits in part for rising demand.

The current fiscal year is off to a good start. “Adult-use cannabis sales continue to show significant consumer demand with more than five million adult-use items sold in July 2026. That’s the highest monthly total to date. The August 2026 sales total nearly 4.9 million adult-use items. That’s a nine percent increase in items sold compared to August 2025,” said IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr.

Treto says Illinois cannabis has been a success because the state has avoided the peaks and valleys which have marked the cannabis journey of other states. He says the future is bright as well, as the legislature and governor this year expanded the markets with an omnibus cannabis bill. The new law increases the amount one can buy at once, the number of conditions eligible for medical cannabis, and allowing drive-thru and curbside dispensing.

What’s more, “IDFPR has issued 114 new medical cannabis dispensary licenses since Sept. 9, so we are seeing an increased number of licenses being issued,” said Treto, adding many of those are in “cannabis deserts.” “There’s a lot of momentum that we are seeing in the state of Illinois, and it’s very, very exciting.”