WGN - Several Illinois recreational marijuana dispensaries were closed Monday, with some owners saying strong demand has caused a shortage in supplies and staff exhaustion.
It's been nearly a week since recreational sales became legal and as anticipated, the supply lines from the 21 growing facilities were not enough to satisfy the demand for weed.
So far, the state has reported nearly $11 million in marijuana sales since Jan. 1. — which dispensary operators said caused the product shortage.
Many dispensary owners figured they would run out of product, they just weren't exactly sure when.
In order to keep up, some dispensaries issued their own buying limits — but that wasn't enough in some cases.
Wait, what? You're telling me dispensaries are running out of product after their customer base almost tripled since the new year? Shocker... I'll tell you, I think this legalization is good for the city, good for the state. More money is coming in, it's definitely going to chill some people out, and these shop owners are Cashing. In. I will say, the people who are upset, and rightfully so, are the medical card holders. While, yes, they do have immediate entry into all the dispensaries while everyone else has to wait in line for hours and hours, if the product is out, it's out. Which would make anyone who actually needs this drug for medical reasons upset. More is coming but in the meantime, if you were considering going to check a dispensary out for yourself, maybe send someone who has a medical card to go in your place, or hold off for awhile until restocks happen and the hype dies down. Just a thought.