Effective January 1, 2020, recreational marijuana will be available for sale to the general public if you are over 21 years old. But it's going to come at a cost... a high tax rate. So if you have a qualifying condition, getting your Medical Marijuana Card is a cost saving option along with other reasons.
How will recreational Marijuana be taxed?
There is a graduated tax set up for recreational marijuana in Illinois:
35%: Marijuana and cannabis-infused products with less than 35% THC will be taxed at 10% of the purchase price;
Cannabis-infused products with more than 35% THC will be taxed at 20% of the purchase price;
Marijuana with more than 35% THC will be taxed at 25% of the purchase price
Medical marijuana is exempted from these taxes. Individual municipalities can also levy additional taxes on recreational marijuana if they choose to, in .25% increments not exceeding 3.75% in unincorporated areas of a county, .75% in a municipality located in a non-home rule county, and 3% in municipalities located in home rule counties.
For this reason and others, we've already see an increase in the number of patients scheduling appointments with our office to receive their Medical Marijuana Card in Illinois.
Our office in Barrington and Chicago see patients from the city to the Northwest Suburbs. Including Palatine, Wheeling, Crystal Lake, McHenry, Woodstock, Harvard, Cary, Fox River Grove, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Barrington, Huntley, Chicago, Lincoln Park, Fullton District, River West and other areas.