Illinois Is Blazing the Trail for Cannabis Profits from “Prohibition Territory”

It's been just over a month since Illinois has been legally selling recreational marijuana, and the response has been incredible.

There were reports of five-hour waits across dispensaries in Illinois, with lines stretching around the block.

A good chunk of the cannabis enthusiasts willing to brave the elements were not even from the Prairie State. Out-of-state visitors spent $8.6 million in Illinois in January.

In just the first month, Illinois hauled in a total $39.2 million. That puts the state on pace for $470 million in total sales for 2020.

That number is only going up - way up. It all has to do with Illinois' neighbors...

"Illinois has a really strong advantage, being in the middle of prohibition territory," Bethany Gomez, Managing Director of Cannabis Research at Brightfield Group said in a statement.

She's right. Bordering Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky, Illinois is in the perfect spot to capture the money people want to spend on legal, tested, and safe products.

It's become an "oasis" in prohibition land.

And it's proof of the profitability of a safe, regulated market. After the first year of legal recreational sales, it's going to be a wakeup call for the states dragging their feet, which is a huge catalyst for change - and profits...[mmpazkzone name="in-story" network="9794" site="307044" id="137008" type="4"]

Political Pressure to Legalize Cannabis Is Mounting

Politicians clinging to outdated beliefs in states bordering Illinois will get the message this year that legalization is inevitable.

They'll see new tax dollars that could have been spent in their state, and they will want a piece of it.

Because - as we've talked about before - there is a lot of money being left on the table, money that should be trickling into the legal market.

New Frontier Data, a company with the mission to be the intelligence authority for the cannabis industry, projects that all cannabis sales in North America were $86 billion in 2018.

Source: New Frontier Data

As a reference, legal sales in the United States in 2018 were $10.8 billion.

That means more than $70 billion in sales were conducted in the black market.

Collectively, legalization will help turn these illicit sales into legal sales, which will boost company revenue, and then be reflected in incredibly higher stock prices.

And because legalization is proceeding despite what even the most conservative politicians say, you'll want to keep your eyes on even the most conservative states, too - especially as we inch closer to the election.

That means Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky will soon be opening themselves up to the possibility of some form of cannabis legalization.

Politicians can no longer ignore the demand of citizens in such a pivotal year - when so many of them are telling their political representatives what the laws will be through ballot measures. It's happening across the country.

As I've said before, no politician - even in those prohibition states I mentioned above - is bold enough to make a strong stand against legalization.

So what does this mean for you? There are three things to do now:

Keep Your Eyes on the Conservative States: Because legalization is proceeding despite what even the most conservative politicians say, you'll want to watch even the most conservative states, too - especially as we inch closer to the election.

That means Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky will soon be opening themselves up to the possibility of some form of cannabis legalization. Politicians can no longer ignore the demand of citizens in such a pivotal year - when so many of them are telling their political representatives what the laws will be through ballot measures. It's happening across the country. As I've said before, no politician - even in those prohibition states I mentioned above - is bold enough to make a strong stand against legalization.

Invest in the Companies Breaking into These Markets: Dixie Brands Inc. (OTCMTKS: DXBRF) has been making moves in Oklahoma, Cresco Labs Inc. (OTCMKTS: CRLBF) sold more than 9,000 products on the first day of legal sales in Illinois, and Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS: CURLF) is making deals to expand operations from 12 to 19 states. Get a piece now, before Wall Street has caught on to the profitability and drives the price higher.

Get the Latest Investing Plan from the American Cannabis Summit: Just in time, Joe Montana and the National Institute for Cannabis Investors have teamed up for the 2020 American Cannabis Summit.

You see, 2020 is shaping up to be a landmark year for cannabis markets - and we want you to be able to capitalize on this unprecedented economic phenomenon.

That's why we teamed up with legendary quarterback Joe Montana and cannabis pioneer Danny Brody for the 2020 American Cannabis Summit.

In this extraordinary event, you'll learn the No. 1 trick to spot a winning cannabis IPO...

... the biggest investing mistake first-time cannabis investors make...

... and the three numbers you absolutely need to check before investing a penny in any cannabis stock.

But remember, space is limited.

Claim your spot now before it goes live. You're not going to want to miss it.

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About the Author

Don Yocham is Executive Director for the National Institute of Cannabis Investors (The Institute) and Director of Cannabis Investing Research for Money Map Press. Before starting his role with the Institute, he was the Head of Private Deals for the publication Cannabis Venture Syndicate. From his first foray into the trading pits of Chicago to introducing institutional investors to entirely new markets in the early 2000s, Don has pretty much covered the entire field of investing in his 25-year career. In the depths of the financial crisis, when the typical investor had lost more than half of their money, his portfolios were up.

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