Tonnes of Marijuana for Recreational Consumption: an Assessment of One Year of Legal Cannabis in Colorado

Colorado marijuana lovers have benefitted from the legalisation of marijuana for recreational purposes for one year now. The measure has been a categorical success, with figures demonstrating this: over the course of the year, consumers bought a total of 17 tonnes of marijuana for recreational use on the new retail market. 

Almost 50 tonnes of medicinal marijuana were also sold, according to state authorities. The sale of edible marijuana products, like candies and cookies, surpassed medicinal marijuana sales by 2 million units. 

Although legalisation was approved in 2012, until 1 January 2014 Colorado residents were unable to take advantage of the measure, when the first stores began to open. Since then, 322 stores and 1,416 medicinal cannabis companies have received authorisation to operate. The overall results have been very positive, with marijuana sales totalling 700 million dollars last year (some 627 million euros).

Legalisation has definitively wrested the cannabis trade from the hands of criminals. In fact, according to a survey, this is one of the reasons why 58% of the state's citizens are satisfied with the law. 

In Washington D.C., Colorado, and, more recently, Alaska, marijuana lovers are able to practice recreational use. As the results in these places have been excellent, many other states could respond by legalising cannabis too.