Since its legalization in 2012, Colorado has made $2.2 billion in taxes off of the sale of marijuana for adults.
Mason Tvert, told 9 News that Colorado’s legalization victory at the ballot box a decade ago “triggered a lot of talks and got a lot of elected leaders both in the U.S. and internationally evaluating their cannabis policy.”
Since 2012, when Colorado followed Washington in passing the legislation, 17 additional states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar reforms, allowing the sale of cannabis to adults.
Public education in Colorado is supported by tax revenue collected from the sale of recreational marijuana, which also goes into the state’s marijuana fund and helps pay for things like healthcare, drug education, and treatment and prevention initiatives, as well as police protection.
“I think it’s just been an unqualified success,” said Brian Vicente, one of the co-directors of the campaign to pass Amendment 64. More states are passing the reforms, and as a result, Vicente says, pressure is being put on the federal government to change its stance on cannabis. During the next midterm elections, voters in five states will decide whether or not to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
Sign up with NECANN to stay in the loop and get your latest cannabis news.
