Colorado Sold An INSANE Amount Of Weed In Its First Full Year Of Legalization — Here Are The Numbers

The numbers don’t lie — Colorado loves weed.

Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division released its first annual report on the state’s regulated pot industry. The offering comprehensive data on the sale, licensing, taxing and investigations of weed in 2014.

After pouring over “37 million recorded events,” the MED report says that “109,578 pounds of medical marijuana flower were sold,” and “38,660 pounds of retail flower sold,” meaning a grand total of nearly 75 tons of cannabis was purchased. While flower (buds) were more popular with medical marijuana patients, edibles were a bigger hit with recreational buyers, who purchased 2.8 million edible products, compared to 1.9 million for those with prescriptions.

The most surprising stat to observers — for some reason — involves the astronomical sales of edibles but I’m not sure why that’s so shocking to people. If I’m a consumer (no comment) edibles are much easier than the idea of rolling a joint in your office parking lot or packing a one hitter to see a band. I’d rather just stuff a cookie in my pocket and just look like I suffer from low blood sugar.

And cue detractors….

“When I see what’s happening in Colorado with edibles—the sodas, ice-creams being targeted toward kids—I think that’s really worrisome,” says Kevin Sabet, former senior advisor on drug policy for the Obama administration and co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-cannabis group. “We think that Colorado is ushering in the next Big Tobacco industry.”‘

Except, you know, tobacco kills people. ALLEGEDLY.

So business is booming in Colorado for the weed industry. The only business doing slightly better are probably Papa Johns locations.

[VICE]

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Chris Illuminati is a 5-time published author and recovering a**hole who writes about running, parenting, and professional wrestling.