While Colorado's recreational market reached a staggering $2.22 billion in 2023, the real story is how a decade of legal cannabis has woven a complex $2.67 billion tapestry of sales, taxes, and jobs that now forms a fundamental thread in the state's economy.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Colorado's total marijuana sales reached $2.67 billion, with recreational sales at $2.22 billion and medical at $450.2 million
- Recreational marijuana flower sales in Colorado for 2023 totaled $1.12 billion, representing 50.4% of total recreational sales
- Concentrates accounted for $587.6 million in recreational sales in Colorado in 2023, or 26.5% of the market
- Recreational sales tax collected per month average 2023: $25 million
- Total state sales tax from marijuana in 2023: $301 million
- Excise tax (15%) on recreational marijuana generated $332 million in 2023
- Total jobs in Colorado cannabis industry reached 15,300 in 2023
- Cultivation and manufacturing jobs: 6,200 full-time equivalents in 2023
- Retail dispensary jobs: 7,100 positions in Colorado cannabis 2023
- Licensed cultivation facilities: 1,200 producing 450 tons annually in 2023
- Total flower production: 1,200 metric tons across rec and medical in 2023
- Average yield per plant in Colorado grows: 0.85 pounds in 2023
- 18-24 year olds comprise 28% of Colorado cannabis consumers in 2023
- Average annual spend per rec user: $1,250 in Colorado 2023
- 65% of adult Coloradans have tried cannabis since legalization
Colorado's cannabis industry remains a multi-billion dollar economic powerhouse in 2023.
Consumption and Demographics
- 18-24 year olds comprise 28% of Colorado cannabis consumers in 2023
- Average annual spend per rec user: $1,250 in Colorado 2023
- 65% of adult Coloradans have tried cannabis since legalization
- Daily or near-daily users: 15% of adults aged 18+ in 2023
- Female consumers: 52% of rec market in 2023
- Out-of-state buyers: 40% of rec sales volume in 2023
- Preferred consumption method flower smoking: 55% users 2023
- Edibles preferred by 25% of seniors over 65 in 2023
- Average purchase frequency: 2.3 times per month per user 2023
- THC dosage average per edible serving: 10mg consumed by 70% users 2023
- Medical patient registry: 82,000 active in 2023
- Pain relief top medical reason: 60% of patients 2023
- Home grow participation: 12% of households in 2023
- CBD vs THC preference: 35% CBD dominant users 2023
- Festival consumption peaks: 20% higher sales during events 2023
- Hispanic/Latino consumers: 22% of market share 2023
- Urban vs rural consumption: 70/30 split in 2023
- Loyalty program members: 1.2 million users 45% of sales 2023
- Microdosing trend: 18% users under 5mg daily 2023
- Veteran medical users: 8,500 registered 2023
- Youth (under 21) past-month use: 19% stable from 2022 in 2023
- Beverage consumption growth: 25% YoY to 12% market share 2023
- Top strain by consumer preference: Blue Dream 15% market 2023
- Delivery orders: 15% of total rec sales in 2023
- Repeat customer rate: 78% in dispensaries 2023
Consumption and Demographics Interpretation
Colorado's cannabis scene has matured into a diverse and loyal marketplace where nearly two-thirds of adults have sampled it, the typical user is a twice-monthly female shopper dropping over a grand a year, and a significant chunk of sales come from visitors stocking up for their presumably less-enlightened home states.
Employment Statistics
- Total jobs in Colorado cannabis industry reached 15,300 in 2023
- Cultivation and manufacturing jobs: 6,200 full-time equivalents in 2023
- Retail dispensary jobs: 7,100 positions in Colorado cannabis 2023
- Average annual wage in cannabis industry: $52,000 in 2023
- Job growth in cannabis: 4.2% YoY adding 620 jobs in 2023
- Women comprise 42% of cannabis workforce in Colorado 2023
- Minorities represent 28% of MJ industry employees in 2023
- Trimmers seasonal jobs peak at 2,500 during harvest 2023
- Unemployment rate in cannabis sector: 3.1% below state average in 2023
- Entry-level budtender salary average: $18.50/hour in 2023
- Management roles in cannabis: 1,200 positions paying $85,000 avg 2023
- Extraction technician jobs: 1,100 with avg wage $65,000 in 2023
- Delivery driver positions grew 15% to 800 in 2023
- Compliance officer roles: 450 jobs at $70,000 avg salary 2023
- Turnover rate in retail cannabis: 35% annually in 2023
- Apprenticeship programs trained 500 new workers in 2023
- Remote sales and marketing jobs: 300 positions added 2023
- Veteran hiring in cannabis: 12% of workforce or 1,836 jobs 2023
- Part-time jobs total 4,200 in dispensaries 2023
- Grow operation supervisors: 900 jobs avg $75,000 2023
- Lab testing positions: 250 scientists/technicians 2023
- Security personnel in cannabis: 1,500 guards 2023
- Total FTE jobs since 2014: peaked at 18,000 before declining to 15,300 in 2023
- Denver metro cannabis jobs: 8,500 or 55% of total 2023
- Cultivator license holders employ avg 25 workers each in 2023
- Active cannabis licenses: 2,800 employing avg 5.5 workers each 2023
- Colorado cannabis industry supported 44,000 indirect jobs in 2023
Employment Statistics Interpretation
It’s clear Colorado’s cannabis industry isn't just a bunch of stoner stereotypes anymore, but rather a serious, maturing job market offering competitive wages and surprising diversity—though it still grapples with high turnover and a sobering comedown from its earlier employment high.
Production and Cultivation
- Licensed cultivation facilities: 1,200 producing 450 tons annually in 2023
- Total flower production: 1,200 metric tons across rec and medical in 2023
- Average yield per plant in Colorado grows: 0.85 pounds in 2023
- Concentrate production: 250,000 pounds of extracts in 2023
- Outdoor cultivation acreage: 5,200 acres licensed in 2023
- Indoor grow lights total power: 1.2 GW equivalent in 2023 facilities
- Water usage for cannabis: 15 million gallons monthly average 2023
- Pest management treatments: 120,000 applications across grows 2023
- CO2 enrichment systems in 75% of indoor ops, saving 20% energy 2023
- Biomass harvested: 2,500 tons wet weight in 2023 season
- Edible production facilities: 450 licensed producing 50 million units 2023
- THC potency average in flower: 22.5% in tested batches 2023
- Failed potency tests: 2.1% of batches in 2023 labs
- Organic certified grows: 180 facilities covering 15% production 2023
- Hemp-cannabis hybrid cultivation: 300 acres experimental 2023
- Drying room capacity: 1 million sq ft across state 2023
- Automated trimming machines: 1,200 units in use reducing labor 30% 2023
- LED lighting adoption: 65% of indoor grows in 2023
- Waste biomass repurposed: 40% into biofuels in 2023
- Seed-to-sale tracking compliance: 99.2% in 2023
- New strain developments: 150 proprietary strains registered 2023
- Microbusiness licenses for small grows: 200 active producing 5% biomass 2023
- Energy cost per pound flower: $450 average in 2023
- Pollination control tech in 80% outdoor grows 2023
- Total plants harvested: 12 million in 2023 season
- Remediation batches for contaminants: 1,200 in 2023
Production and Cultivation Interpretation
Colorado's cannabis industry is a titan of meticulously monitored abundance, where 1,200 facilities orchestrate everything from 12 million harvested plants to 50 million edibles, all while navigating a high-wire act of energy efficiency, rigorous testing, and enough biomass to make even the most seasoned gardener blush.
Revenue and Taxes
- Recreational sales tax collected per month average 2023: $25 million
- Total state sales tax from marijuana in 2023: $301 million
- Excise tax (15%) on recreational marijuana generated $332 million in 2023
- Local occupancy tax from cannabis businesses: $45 million in 2023 to municipalities
- Marijuana tax revenue allocated to public schools: $180 million in FY2023
- Total combined state and local cannabis taxes in 2023: $625 million
- Voter-approved 6.5% sales tax amendment 64 revenue: $150 million in 2023
- Medical marijuana registry fees contributed $5.2 million in 2023
- Cannabis business license fees totaled $12 million in FY2023
- Tax revenue per ounce of flower sold: average $45 in 2023
- Refundable tax credits issued to cannabis businesses: $8.7 million in 2023
- Water fund from cannabis taxes: $25 million allocated in 2023
- Public health fund received $40 million from MJ taxes in 2023
- Local government share of MJ sales tax: 35% or $105 million in 2023
- Excise tax revenue growth: 8% YoY to $332 million in 2023
- Total MJ tax revenue since 2014: over $2.8 billion as of 2023
- Monthly average excise tax collection: $27.7 million in 2023
- Cannabis tourism tax contributions estimated at $75 million in 2023
- Tax rate effective average on rec MJ: 27% including local add-ons in 2023
- Business support fund from MJ taxes: $15 million disbursed 2023
- Retail privilege tax on MJ deliveries: $2.5 million collected 2023
- Hemp tax revenue: $3.8 million from CBD sales 2023
- Tax evasion estimates cost state $50 million annually in 2023
- SB23-290 new tax measures projected $100 million over 5 years from 2023
- Q4 2023 tax revenue: $165 million total MJ taxes
- Allocation to behavioral health: $38 million from MJ taxes 2023
Revenue and Taxes Interpretation
Colorado's cannabis industry has effectively turned "puff, puff, pass" into a staggering $625 million annual revenue stream, proving that legal weed doesn't just grow plants—it funds schools, water projects, and public health while giving tax evasion a run for its money.
Sales Data
- In 2023, Colorado's total marijuana sales reached $2.67 billion, with recreational sales at $2.22 billion and medical at $450.2 million
- Recreational marijuana flower sales in Colorado for 2023 totaled $1.12 billion, representing 50.4% of total recreational sales
- Concentrates accounted for $587.6 million in recreational sales in Colorado in 2023, or 26.5% of the market
- Edibles sales in Colorado's recreational market hit $305.4 million in 2023, making up 13.7% of total rec sales
- Total marijuana sales in Colorado for January 2024 were $198.5 million, down 12% from January 2023
- Denver metro area accounted for 52% of Colorado's recreational cannabis sales in 2023, totaling approximately $1.15 billion
- Colorado's medical marijuana sales grew 5.2% year-over-year in 2023 to $450.2 million
- Black market cannabis sales in Colorado estimated at $90 million annually as of 2022
- Online cannabis sales in Colorado surged 28% in 2023 to $145 million
- Top-selling strain in Colorado, Runtz, generated $12.5 million in sales in Q4 2023
- Pre-roll sales in Colorado reached $215 million in recreational market for 2023
- Vapes contributed $180.3 million to Colorado rec sales in 2023, 8.1% of total
- Monthly average recreational sales in Colorado 2023: $185 million
- Colorado cannabis tourism sales estimated at $500 million in 2023 from out-of-state buyers
- Female-focused cannabis products sales grew 15% to $45 million in 2023
- CBD-only sales in Colorado dispensaries: $32 million in 2023
- Holiday sales spike in December 2023: $220 million total marijuana sales
- Pueblo County led non-metro sales with $120 million in 2023
- New product category beverages sales: $28.5 million in 2023 rec market
- Top dispensary chain sold $250 million in 2023 across Colorado
- Year-to-date sales through June 2023: $1.32 billion recreational
- Concentrate ounces sold: 1.2 million in rec market 2023
- Edible units sold: 45 million in 2023 Colorado rec
- Flower grams sold: 450 tons in recreational 2023
- Sales per capita in Colorado: $450 annually in 2023
- Export sales of Colorado cannabis products to other states (hemp-derived): $10 million in 2023
- Ancillary product sales (pipes, etc.) in dispensaries: $75 million 2023
- Q1 2024 sales: $582 million total, up 2% QoQ
- Medical flower sales: $210 million in 2023
Sales Data Interpretation
While Colorado's cannabis industry soberly clocks a mature $2.67 billion in annual sales, with flower reigning at 50% of the recreational market, it's clear the state is still happily blazing new trails as medical sales grow, niche markets boom, and Denver continues to be the undisputed mile-high capital of consumption.
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