MILIAN, Illinois-- Time to turn over a new leaf for the new year. Marijuana is now legal in the state of Illinois.
At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2020 recreational marijuana officially became legal.
Hundreds of people patiently waited to make their first purchase at Nature's Treatment of Illinois in Milan, Illinois. Some arrived as early as 10:30 p.m. choosing to celebrate New Year's Eve at the dispensary to make their first legal purchase.
Nearly a week later on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Nature's Treatment completed over 3,000 transactions since opening. Only edibles are available for recreational purchase as a state-wide product shortage means, under law, a stock of smokable flower is reserved for those with medical cards.
That first, fateful day, doors opened at 6 a.m. as people from both sides of the river rolled in with their ticket number, waiting to be called.
Patrick Supan waited for more than six hours saying legalization was a long time coming.
"The stigma of marijuana has just been blown out of proportion for so long... It's time," Supan said. "I was a bouncer for a long time and if I had to choose a room full of drunks or a room full of stoned people, I'd take the stoned people every single time."
NTI says the new laws are a good thing: Cannabis products can't be taken over state lines and only people 21 and older can legally buy and possess marijuana.
On New Year's Day police were on scene and said everyone was well-behaved.