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10 More Numbers About Colorado Pot That Aren't 420

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Flickr - Creative Commons

Most Coloradans probably know that 4-20 – April 20 – has become the day for celebrating marijuana. Although the origin is still debated, 420 is probably the most popular numeric reference to pot. Here's 10 more numbers about cannabis in Colorado.

  1. 71 percent - Recreational marijuana has been legal under state law for more than a year, but you can’t sell or legally buy cannabis in much of the state. Seventy-one percent of the state’s 321 jurisdictions ban all medical or retail marijuana dispensaries, according to Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division.
  2. 698 - There are 698 storefronts you can walk into to buy medical or retail marijuana as of April 20, 2015 – more than triple the number Starbucks (216) in the state.
  3. $228 - In the Denver Metro Area, consumers can expect to pay around $228 for an ounce of pot as of April 8, 2015, according to survey by the Colorado Pot Guide.
  4. $90 million - Canna-business has generated $90 million in taxes, licenses and fees for the state since fiscal year 2013. That’s also almost as much money as Colorado taxpayers should expect for 2016 in refunds ($94 million).
  5. 15,992 - The cannabis industry has also created new jobs. There were 15,992 people licensed [.pdf] to work in the industry in February 2015. That’s about the same as the number of high school teachers in Colorado.
  6. $413,500 - In 2014, the Marijuana Enforcement Division fined pot shops and producers $413,500 for violating regulations [.pdf], including keeping workers licensed, staying within the legal limit of how much pot they can keep on hand and disposing of cannabis waste properly
  7. 800 - Then there are medical patients who don’t go to licensed stores, but instead turn to caregivers, legal under Colorado law. Patients must still register with the state and get certified by a doctor. So far about 800 of the state’s 13,400 active physicians have signed medical marijuana cards for 114,290 patients [.pdf].
  8. $15 - As of the time of publishing, it costs $15 to obtain a medical marijuana card. In 2007, it cost $110.
  9. 4.8 million - In the first year of legalization in Colorado, consumers bought 4.8 million units [.pdf] of edible cannabis products, such as cookies or chocolates infused with THC.
  10. 148,238 - Consumers bought 148,238 pounds [.pdf] of marijuana in Colorado in 2014 – or more than 74 tons. According to our research that’s heavy – weighing as much as about 24 Chevy Suburbans or eight Tyrannosaurus Rex.

This report appears in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS I-News. Contact Anna Boiko-Weyrauch, or Katie Kuntz.

I-News is the public service journalism arm of Rocky Mountain PBS and works in collaboration with news media throughout Colorado.
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