Colorado, the first state to legalize the recreational sale of weed, is still topping its sales figures five years into legalization.
Over the weekend, the state released its sales data from January to November 2019. So far, the state sold over $1.6 billion worth of legal weed. That figure will be even higher once December’s numbers roll in some time next month. The previous record, set in 2018, peaked at $1.55 billion.
As noted by Tommy Mitchell at Westword, Colorado has topped its weed sales, year-after-year, since 2014. The Centennnial State sold a grand total of $7.6 billion in licensed weed products from January 2014 to November 2019.
While Colorado’s sales figures remain impressive, even as more states launch recreational weed programs, California holds the crown for most weed sales overall. The Golden State, considered the world’s largest legal (and illicit) weed market, was estimated to sell $3 billion worth of legal cannabis in 2019 alone.
Speaking of new recreational cannabis programs, how did the new “green” states fare? Michigan, which began recreational sales on December 1, already sold at least $8 million worth of weed. Illinois, which launched its adult use program on January 1, has already sold over $11 million worth of pot. For comparison, Colorado sold $144 million of weed last November.
Clearly, there’s a sea of green out there, and as the US continues to reform its drug laws, we’ll all be swimming in it soon.
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