Michigan legal weed sales top $1.6 million in first week; Illinois next

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Recreational marijuana sales totaled about $1.6 million in the inaugural week of business at the first retail shops in Michigan.

Sales during the Dec. 1-8 period brought the state roughly $270,400 in revenue from the excise and sales taxes levied on pot, the Detroit Free Press and MLive.com reported.

As of Monday, Michigan's Marijuana Regulatory Agency issued 10 retail licenses for recreational marijuana, five of which began selling last week. More than 1,400 of the state's roughly 1,800 cities, townships and villages aren’t allowing pot shops.

Related: Controversy surrounds ownership of weed dispensaries in Chicago

Michigan voters approved recreational marijuana last year. Illinois starts recreational sales in January.

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