Marijuana Sales Began Annual Dip in September

Colorado’s legal marijuana sales finally took a fall in September, according to data from the state Department of Revenue, and past trends indicate that this dip is likely to continue until next spring. However, 2019 is still very much on pace to become the highest-selling year ever for the state’s legal pot industry.

Colorado dispensaries racked up over $155.4 million in sales in September, DOR data shows. That’s a drop of over 10 percent from August – but still rises almost 13 percent over the same month in 2018. Recreational sales accounted for more than $126.8 million in September 2019, according to the figures, while medical sales came in at $28.6 million; they’ve been on a $25-to-$30 million plateau for over a year now.

Marijuana sales traditionally drop after the summer months end, then hit a low point in January or February and begin bouncing back in March. This year seems to be following the trend, but with three months of sales still left to report in 2019, dispensary sales figures are likely to breeze past last year’s.

Through the first nine months of 2019, the state’s pot industry sold more than $1.3 billion worth of products, reaching the highest monthly sales total ever in August. Those sales have contributed slightly less than $250 million in tax revenue so far this year, according to the DOR.

In all of 2018, DOR data shows legal pot accounted for a little over $1.54 billion in sales and $266.5 million in tax revenue. Since recreational pot sales began in Colorado in January 2014, dispensaries have accounted for over $7.35 billion in sales and approximately $1.15 billion in tax revenue.