In January 2014, about 25,000 legal retail marijuana plants were grown in Colorado. By December, more than 215,000 recreational plants were lawfully cultivated.
The statistic was included in a recent Colorado Department of Revenue marijuana update released last week.
The report also revealed a dramatic increase in the number of occupational licenses, or badges, issued to marijuana employees. At the beginning of 2014, the state listed 6,593 cannabis workers. By the end of the year, the number of licensed personnel had more than doubled to 15,992.
“Helping to create more jobs is good for the economy,” said Garrett Smith, owner of The Herbal Alternative, a Cortez retail cannabis shop.
The job growth is reflected locally. Before being granted a retail license by city officials this year, The Herbal Alternative employed about a dozen people. Since then, the company has added four employees, Smith said.
The state also reported that of the 321 local jurisdictions in Colorado, more than 70 percent have prohibited medical and retail licenses as of Dec. 31, 2014. Colorado voters approved medical marijuana in 2010 and retail marijuana last year.
On Jan. 1, 2014, Colorado implemented a comprehensive regulatory model overseeing cultivation, manufacture and sale of recreational marijuana. Across the state, 67 total jurisdictions, or 20 percent, had issued medical and retail licenses at the end of 2014. Cortez has there are four combined medical and retail licensed marijuana shops.
Mayor Karen Sheek said she hadn’t received reports that support claims of increased crime rates and underage drug use because of the legalization of marijuana. She added there were lots of dangers in society, including alcohol, but no one is demanding that liquor stores be closed when a child gets caught drinking, for example.
“Regulating marijuana is better than driving it underground,” she said.
According to Smith, a majority of his retail customers are professionals over the age of 40. About half, he said, are out-of-state customers. Others from as far away as Europe and South America have also shopped at his business.
Illustrating a strong demand for marijuana edibles, the state’s report shows that nearly 2 million units of medical infused edible products were sold in Colorado last year, compared with nearly 2.9 million units of retail marijuana edibles. Medical edibles have no restrictions on the level of THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, but retail edibles are limited to 100 milligrams of THC.
“We are definitely selling more edibles than buds,” said Smith. “People are more intrigued about eating cannabis.”
DO Organics was recently approved for a retail marijuana license, but owner Jonny Radding said he was awaiting for one final building inspection. He hopes to offer retail sales later this month.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
