The Washington Post recently analyzed tax data from Colorado’s Department of Revenue and determined that an astounding 700 million dollars worth of legal pot was sold in the state last year. The breakdown is $386 million for medical marijuana and $306 million for recreational marijuana. This is a conservative estimate since it doesn’t account for revenue from marijuana tourism or sales of products that are related to weed such as vaporizers, bongs, and pipes.
The most interesting bit of information that will bolster the legalization movement is the fact that marijuana sales resulted in $63 million in tax revenue for the state. If there’s one thing that all governments love, it’s increased tax revenue. We all know that legalizing weed is the moral thing to do. But since when does the government care about doing the right thing? It’s more likely that, rather than ending prohibition out of a sense of justice, the cash money from taxes will be the most persuasive reason that other states will move to legalize weed in the coming years.
All of this despite the fact that it is still federally illegal to sell marijuana. Despite the fact that the banks are too scared to do business with weed vendors, making it a risky cash only business.
Colorado’s legalization experiment has also completely destroyed the credibility of the prohibitionists. The hysterical, idiotic arguments about stoned driving were proved wrong. Fatal accidents were actually below average. Crime decreased in Denver and the surrounding areas. Can someone remind me why weed is still illegal in most states?
