The legal sales of marijuana and marijuana products netted Colorado $325,103,684 in tax revenue in 2022.
In Colorado the excise tax on marijuana is set at 15%, which is on top of the 2.9% standard statewide sales tax. In addition to these taxes, localities have the option of implementing a city-wide tax of up to 3%. The tax revenue for 2022 came from roughly $1.8 billion in marijuana sales, bringing the to-date total to over $14 billion.
The top year for marijuana taxes since the start of legal sales was 2021, with $423 million. This beat the record of $387 million set the previous year. In 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic, the state made $302 million in marijuana taxes.
Colorado was one of the first two states to legalize marijuana with the passage of a 2012 citizen’s initiative. Although marijuana possession became legal the following year, the first marijuana stores didn’t begin opening until 2014.