Selling Recreational Cannabis in Illinois: Is Your Town In or Out?

Each municipality in Illinois gets to decide whether it wants to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries within its borders. So does each of Illinois’ 102 counties, for its unincorporated regions.

NBC 5 has created a map (see below) to show you which Chicago-area and downstate towns and counties have “opted in” to recreational cannabis; which have “opted out,” and which are still in the process of deciding. We’ll continue to update this map as more communities make their formal decisions.

Remember: Just because a town has “opted in,” doesn’t mean a recreational pot dispensary will open up there. The state is issuing licenses gradually, over the next twelve months – with just 30 licenses being issued as of early December.

Also be aware: Three existing dispensaries – which, up to now, have sold pot only for medicinal purposes – now have licenses to sell recreational pot as well, but they still can’t do so. That’s because those three dispensaries are located in towns where officials voted to “opt out” of recreational marijuana sales. So – for now at least – those dispensaries (in Naperville, Arlington Heights, and Marion) will continue to sell medical cannabis.

Here's where Illinois municipalities and counties stand, as of December 6th, 2019:

PLACES THAT WILL ALLOW RECREATIONAL POT DISPENSARIES WITHIN THEIR BORDERS: