Cannabis in Colorado

Colorado voters legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older in November 2012 by adding Amendment 64 to the state constitution, and licensed stores began selling to adults in 2014. Recreational ("retail") and medical sales are licensed and inspected by the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), part of the Colorado Department of Revenue. The MED publishes monthly lists of every licensed store, grow, manufacturer, delivery permit and hospitality business, so any dispensary can be checked in minutes.

Adults 21+ may buy only from licensed retail stores and can purchase up to one ounce at a time. They may possess up to two ounces and can give up to two ounces to another adult, but may not sell it. Stores must check a valid ID, keep anyone under 21 out of the sales area, sell in child-resistant opaque packaging and open only between 8 a.m. and midnight (cities can set shorter hours). Adults may grow up to six plants each, no more than three of them flowering, in an enclosed, locked space that cannot be seen from outside. Denver caps home grows at 12 plants per residence.

Public use is illegal, including on sidewalks, in parks, at ski resorts, concert venues, bars and restaurants, and in shared apartment areas. Federal land such as national parks, national forests and many ski slopes is off-limits, and landlords and hotels can ban use. The legal exception is a small number of MED-licensed hospitality businesses where consumption on site is allowed, such as lounges in Denver.

Retail purchases carry a 15% state retail marijuana sales tax, and a separate 15% excise tax applies at the wholesale level; retail marijuana is exempt from the 2.9% state sales tax, but local taxes are added. Medical marijuana is exempt from both 15% taxes but pays the 2.9% state sales tax. Medical registry cards, managed by the state health department, are issued only to Colorado residents and are valid only in Colorado, so visitors shop on the recreational side.