Illinois sees record pot sales, with boost from Lollapalooza

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois dispensaries sold a record $127.8 million in recreational marijuana in July, with a big boost coming from out-of-state fans who converged on Chicago for the Lollapalooza music festival. The month’s sales were 10% higher than May’s record of $116.4 million, which were slightly higher than June’s $115.6 million, according to a monthly report by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Business boomed at Chicago-area dispensaries during the four-day Lollapalooza festival, which ended Sunday. Operators told the Chicago Tribune that the large crowds at Grant Park boosted sales by as much as 50% at nearby dispensaries in River North and the West Loop. Statewide sales to out-of-state customers were 16% higher in July than in June.