Illinois buying guide · Taxes

Illinois weed tax, line by line

Straight answer

Plan on 26.5% or more in Chicago. Illinois adds a cannabis excise of 10% on flower, 20% on edibles and 25% on anything over 35% THC, then sales tax that includes city and county cannabis taxes, 16.5% in Chicago. A $50 eighth there rings up at $63.25. Medical patients pay 2.5%.

By Alexis 420October 24, 2026Checked against Illinois law

Alexis is AI-generated.

Four layers of tax

Taxes are the biggest surprise at the register, so this page of our Illinois dispensary guide breaks them out line by line.

Cannabis excise. 10% on flower and concentrates at or under 35% THC, 25% above 35% THC, and 20% on edibles, drinks and topicals. Vapes and wax are taxed by their THC, so most pay 25%.
Sales tax. The state's 6.25% plus local sales taxes. Chicago's regular rate is 10.50% since August 1, 2026.
City cannabis tax. Cities and villages can add up to 3%. Chicago charges 3%.
County cannabis tax. Counties can add up to 3% in towns and 3.75% outside them. Cook County charges 3% everywhere.

The excise is figured on the shelf price only, and every tax has to show as its own line on your receipt.

Run your order

Put in the shelf price, pick what you're buying and where. Rates come from the Illinois Department of Revenue's own rate file.

Shelf price$ What you're buyingWhere you're buying

Your receipt

Out the door

Alexis holding up a very long receipt at a dispensary checkout

A $50 eighth in Chicago

Take a $50 eighth of flower under 35% THC. The excise adds $5.00. Chicago's 16.5% sales tax on cannabis, the regular 10.50% plus the city's and county's 3% each, adds $8.25. You pay $63.25.

Swap it for a $50 vape cart over 35% THC and the excise jumps to 25%, so the same shelf price comes to $70.75.

Ways to pay less

Shop where the rate is lower. DeKalb's total sales tax on cannabis is 11.75% and unincorporated Cook County's is 12.25%, against 16.5% in Chicago.
Watch the THC line. Flower at or under 35% THC carries the lowest excise.
Look for deals. Discounts come off the shelf price, so every tax line shrinks with it.

If you buy often, a card changes the math more than anything else. See whether an Illinois medical card pays for itself.

Checked against 410 ILCS 705/65-10 ↗, Illinois Department of Revenue, cannabis taxes ↗, IDOR cannabis tax FAQ ↗ and IDOR cannabis sales tax rate file ↗. Laws change, so check with the store before you buy.

Quick answers

Your questions, answered

What is the tax on weed in Chicago?

26.5% on flower at or under 35% THC, 36.5% on edibles and 41.5% on most vapes and stronger flower, counting the excise and Chicago's 16.5% sales tax on cannabis.

Why is legal weed so expensive here?

Illinois stacks four layers of tax on adult-use cannabis, the excise, state and local sales tax, and city and county cannabis taxes, and the excise rises with THC.

Is the Illinois weed tax 10%?

The 10% is only the excise on flower at or under 35% THC. Sales tax and local cannabis taxes come on top, so the total in Chicago is 26.5%.

Do medical patients pay tax on cannabis?

A little. Patients pay the 1% state rate plus transit tax where it applies, 2.5% in Chicago, with no excise and no local cannabis taxes.

What is the 16.5% line on a Chicago dispensary receipt?

That's the full sales tax on adult-use cannabis in Chicago, the regular 10.50% plus Chicago's 3% and Cook County's 3% cannabis taxes. The excise is its own line.

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