Illinois' 1st week medical marijuana sales: $211K

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois' new medical marijuana shops sold nearly $211,000 worth of cannabis in the first week, with less than a quarter of eligible patients buying so far.

The state's first regulated marijuana dispensaries opened Monday.

Program director Joseph Wright said Friday the dispensaries served 806 customers. They purchased about 460 ounces of marijuana, or about a half an ounce per person, on average.

Green Thumb Industries CEO Ben Kovler says the numbers are "a very strong start."

A statewide digital tracking system is in place to monitor sales. The first week dispensary sales figures indicate that the price per ounce on average was roughly $450, or about $16 per gram.

Marijuana wholesalers pay a 7 percent tax to the state. Wright says wholesale sales figures aren't yet available.