Illinois' recreational marijuana dispensaries prepare for shortages with legal sales starting Jan. 1

CHICAGO - With less than 48 hours to go until marijuana shops open their doors to the public, operators are figuring out what to do if they run low on marijuana.

For months, dispensaries have been bracing for a shortage. Nearly every state that allows recreational marijuana has had stores run out or run low during the first days of sales.

Some Illinois dispensaries say they're already having difficulty keeping enough marijuana in stock for the medical marijuana patients they currently serve. And demand for marijuana should only grow during the early days of recreational sales, when long lines of customers are expected to wait for hours in the