• Our Story
  • Your Story
  • Policy Research
  • Take Action
Donate

Illinois’
comeback
story
starts here.

  • Home

  • Our Story

    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Senior Fellows
    • Jobs
    • Annual Reports
  • Your story

  • Take action

    • Lawmakers
    • Contact Your Rep
    • Join The Fight
  • Policy research

    • Budget + Tax
    • Criminal Justice
    • Good Government
    • Jobs + Growth
    • Labor
    • Pensions
  • Reports

  • Cartoons

  • Press Releases

  • Policy Shop

  • FAQs

  • Contact

  • Newsletter signup

  • Search

  • Donate

    • Illinois Policy Institute
  • Privacy Policy

Fact check: Illinois marijuana revenue $600M below potential

By Dylan Sharkey
07/27/2022
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is touting how much marijuana revenue Illinois received in 2021. But high taxes and regulatory blunders have kept Illinois weed between $200 million and $600 million shy of its potential.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, legalization, marijuana, taxes

Illinois’ half-baked marijuana legalization costs state $600M

By Adam Schuster
04/20/2022
A complex system of high taxes and restrictive licensing undermines the goals of marijuana legalization proponents – leaving $600 million in potential revenue uncollected while helping the illegal drug trade.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, marijuana, taxes

Marijuana sales dip as Illinois’ high taxes boost illegal market

By Dylan Sharkey
03/23/2022
Illinois’ cannabis dispensaries are noticing a steady drop in sales after record-setting sales in December. High prices and a lack of supply likely push customers to street dealers.

TAGS: Illinois, marijuana

Marijuana tax suspended to cut San Francisco crime surge

By Dylan Sharkey
12/07/2021
High taxes on marijuana are believed to help illegal dealers and violence thrive, so San Francisco is holding off on new city pot taxes to help legal dispensaries compete. Illinois and Chicago, where taxes top 40%, may want to pay attention.

TAGS: black market, legalization, marijuana, San Francisco

Illinois marijuana sales double, likely to hit $1.5 billion for 2021

By Dylan Sharkey
12/06/2021
Legal marijuana has seen nine consecutive months tally at least $100 million in Illinois sales. The state is on pace to double the previous year and exceed $1.5 billion in sales. Still, Illinois’ illegal market churns out higher sales and violence.

TAGS: Illinois, marijuana, revenue

Marijuana company investigated for pay to play? Hired Madigan cronies.

By Patrick Andriesen
04/01/2021
A Chicago-based marijuana company is facing a federal investigation into whether it bought influence to gain state licenses, sources told the Chicago Tribune. It hired four close associates of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.

TAGS: ComEd, corruption, federal investigation, marijuana, Mike Madigan

Illinois cannabis taxes among nation’s highest, could keep black market thriving

By Austin Berg
01/09/2020
Springfield lawmakers have yet to learn the lesson that money walks. And it’s not just to other states. Sometimes, it walks past the legal dispensary with a 40% tax rate and into a dealer’s house.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, decriminalization, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, legalization, marijuana, medical marijuana, Springfield, tax burden, taxes, THC

What you need to know about marijuana legalization in Illinois

By Austin Berg
01/01/2020
Answers to frequently asked questions about Illinois’ cannabis legalization law.

TAGS: criminal justice reform, legalization, marijuana

9 new Illinois taxes totaling $1.7B take effect Jan. 1

By Adam Schuster
12/15/2019
Nearly half of the 20 tax and fee hikes passed to support a record $40 billion state budget and $45 billion infrastructure plan hit on New Year’s Day.

TAGS: cannabis, cigarette tax, economy, electric car, electric vehicle, gas tax, graduated income tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, marijuana, motor fuel tax, New Year's Day, online sales tax, parking garages, parking tax, progressive income tax, registration fee, spending, spending cap, Springfield, tax hikes, tax increase, taxes, trade-in tax, vehicle registration

Where you can and can’t buy recreational marijuana in Illinois

11/15/2019
Many Illinois municipalities have voted to ban or restrict marijuana sales when it becomes legal for sale. Here’s a list of where pot will, won’t and might be legally bought.

TAGS: Arlington Heights, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, cannabis, Carbondale, Carol Stream, Chicago, City of Springfield, collar counties, Collinsville, Danville, Decatur, Downers Grove, DuPage County, Edwardsville, Elmhurst, Grayslake, Highland Park, Joliet, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, legalization, Libertyville, Lombard, marijuana, Mundelein, municipal government, Naperville, Northbrook, Oak Park, Plainfield, prohibition, Schaumburg, Urbana, Waukegan, Wheaton, Winnetka

Load More
Pensions / Research Report

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective


Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 By contrast, neighboring Wisconsin’s pension system is 103% funded.3 In fiscal year 2022, Illinois’ total gen­eral funds pension costs, includ­ing pension bond...

View Report

Report Archive

Jobs + Growth / Your Story

Cathy Stuehmeier

Labor / Policy Point

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014
Illinois Policy In the News

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016

Chicago Office | Illinois Policy
300 S. Riverside Plaza | 1650 |
Chicago, IL 60606
t 312.346.5700  f 312.896.2500

Springfield Office | Illinois Policy
802 South 2nd Street |
Springfield, IL 62704
t 217.528.8800  f 312.212.5277  
e info@illinoispolicy.org

Copyright © 2023 Illinois Policy |
Illinois' comeback story starts here

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

results for
Sort by: |