City of Denver publishes annual report on the local cannabis industry |

Denver city officials released their annual cannabis industry report, which is a wealth of information about the latest data and how it compares to previous years.

A report entitled “The Denver Collaborative Approach” was published by the City of Denver, Colorado. The report covers a wide variety of facts and figures from the industry, including cannabis taxes, sales and revenue, notable accomplishments, and more.

“As legalization spreads in the United States, Denver remains the focus. More than ever, the city is being studied to provide guidance on how to effectively implement and continue to manage initial sales and commercialization of voter-approved retail marijuana, ”the report reads.

It continues to summarize the flowing efforts of the Denver Office of Marijuana Policy and how it is constantly at work to ensure the city’s cannabis industry stays compliant. “Denver continues its collaborative approach to marijuana management and remains agile and agile to keep pace with the continued sales and innovation growth in the marijuana industry while staying in constant communication with the industry and residents for a balance between many competing interests. “

As of January 2014, Denver had 731 medical cannabis business licenses and 270 retail licenses. As of January 2021, the number of licenses is much more balanced at 441 and 476 respectively (although January 2020 showed similar results).

The report’s sales data only reflects sales collected in 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, recreational cannabis sales increased 18 percent and medicinal cannabis sales increased 31 percent. Across the state of Colorado, recreational cannabis sales rose 25 percent over the same period, with medicinal product sales up 31 percent.

Unsurprisingly, 32.6 percent of the state’s recreational cannabis sales came from the city and county of Denver. This shows a steady decline in sales from Denver, suggesting cities outside of Denver continue to grow and expand. Overall, combined retail and medicinal cannabis sales in Colorado were $ 715 million in 2020 (up 21 percent from 2019).

To date, in 2021, $ 24.6 million of the city’s cannabis revenue has been allocated to “affordable housing and homeless services, youth violence prevention, running the STAR program, leasing and other one-time equipment costs.”

The report highlights some of the city’s accomplishments between 2014 and 2020, including donations to various community services, such as free afternoon and summer programs for children and the establishment of a recreation center in 2018. The report also points to other changes it is trying to implement. First, the city intends to look into how it can further support local cannabis companies on a financial, technical and business level. It also aims to “give social justice applicants the exclusivity of the licenses for most licenses for the next six years and the exclusive ability to make deliveries for the next three years”.

Second, with its “Turn Over a New Leaf” program, which came into force for the first time in 2019, it would like to continue to focus on solving convictions related to cannabis ”for deletion.

“Under the leadership of Mayor Hancock, the city has adopted a collaborative marijuana management model that includes multiple agencies working together to maintain, protect, and improve Denver’s excellent quality of life. This work is based on the city’s priorities in marijuana management, including robust regulation, strict enforcement, effective education and equal access to the industry. “

The final section of the report goes into detail about the city’s law enforcement data, including details on black market sales and common crime. The Denver Police Department collected 3,098 pounds of illegal cannabis in 2020. Local police report that cannabis-related offenses make up less than one percent of all crime in the city of Denver, with a total of 435 in 2020 (of the city’s total offenses). across the board, which is at 73,322).

The Denver Collaborative Approach report is a valuable resource on the city’s cannabis industry and a positive example of a city that embraces all aspects of cannabis within its borders.