Marijuana Taxes Brought $35 Million to Colorado Counties in 2016: Which Got Richest? | Westword
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Pot Taxes Brought $35 Million to Colorado Counties in 2016: Which Got Richest?

According to data shared by the Colorado Department of Revenue, 29 counties in Colorado generated nearly $35 million in tax revenues during 2016, not counting the nearly $200 million in tax revenue collected by the state itself. The amounts range from just over $70,000 in one mountain county to more than $14 million in the state's most populous metro area.
Toni Fox makes the first legal recreational marijuana sale in Colorado at 3D Cannabis Center at 8 a.m. January 1, 2014.
Toni Fox makes the first legal recreational marijuana sale in Colorado at 3D Cannabis Center at 8 a.m. January 1, 2014. Photo by Brandon Marshall
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According to data shared by the Colorado Department of Revenue, 29 counties in Colorado generated nearly $35 million in tax revenues during 2016, not counting the nearly $200 million in tax revenue collected by the state itself. The amounts range from just over $70,000 in one mountain county to more than $14 million in the state's most populous metro area.

County tax revenues from marijuana are frequently overlooked when it comes time to analyze the cash windfall that cannabis has brought to Colorado in recent years. But figures originally assembled by the Colorado Springs Gazette demonstrate how substantial they've grown.

Of the $34,988,901 in marijuana tax revenues that wound up in county coffers, the majority can be traced to the top four, all located in the Denver-Boulder area. In fifth place, meanwhile, is El Paso County, which reached this peak despite not allowing recreational marijuana sales; its totals are solely from medical cannabis.

Count down the riches from all 29 counties below.

Number 29: Gilpin County

Recreational: $70,841
Medical: N/A

Total: $70,841

Number 28: Costilla County

Recreational: $82,306
Medical: N/A

Total: $82,306

Number 27: Ouray County

Recreational: $92,178
Medical: N/A

Total: $92,178

Number 26: Grand County

Recreational: $93,863
Medical: N/A

Total: $93,863

Number 25: Park County

Recreational: $97,848
Medical: N/A

$97,848

Photo by Brandon Marshall
Number 24: Conejos County

Recreational: $100,481
Medical: N/A

Total: $100,481

Number 23: Archuleta County

Recreational: $101,395
Medical: N/A

Total: $101,395

Number 22: Chaffee County

Recreational: $103,742
Medical: N/A

Total: $103,742

Number 21: San Miguel County

Recreational: $101,441
Medical: $12,503

Total: $113,944

Number 20: Morgan County

Recreational: $128,682
Medical: N/A

Total: $128,682

Number 19: Gunnison County

Recreational: $163,313
Medical: N/A

Total: $163,313

Number 18: Clear Creek County

Recreational: $192,571
Medical: $28,033

Total: $220,604

Number 17: Pitkin County

Recreational: $263,152
Medical: $33,842

Total: $296,994

Number 16: Routt County

Recreational: $253,181
Medical: $82,351

Total: $335,532

Continue to see the 2016 figures for the top fifteen Colorado counties when measured by marijuana tax revenue.

7News file photo
Number 15: Eagle County

Recreational: $350,755
Medical: N/A

Total: $350,755

Number 14: Montezuma County

Recreational: $335,348
Medical: $63,120

Total: $398,468

Number 13: Garfield County

Recreational: $443,677
Medical: $134,833

Total: $578,510

Number 12: Las Animas County

Recreational: $592,085
Medical: N/A

Total: $592,085

Number 11: Summit County

Recreational: $579,920
Medical: $50,319

Total: $630,239

Number 10: La Plata County

Recreational: $604,484
Medical: $162,741

Total: $767,225

Number 9: Weld County

Recreational: $757,836
Medical: $101,887

Total: $859,723

Number 8: Pueblo County

Recreational: $763,680
Medical: $242,558

Total: $1,006,238

Number 7: Adams County

Recreational: $1,322,421
Medical: $145,123

Total: $1,467,544

click to enlarge
Trimmers at Pink House's grow facility circa 2014.
Photo by Wax Jones
Number 6: Larimer County

Recreational: $1,258,199
Medical: $385,017

Total: $1,643,216

Number 5: Jefferson County

Recreational: $1,311,680
Medical: $514,607

Total: $1,826,287

Number 4: El Paso County

Recreational: N/A
Medical: $2,736,640

Total: $2,736,640

Number 3: Boulder County

Recreational: $1,937,870
Medical: $802,753

Total: $2,740,623

Number 2: Arapahoe County

Recreational: $2,757,236
Medical: $502,632

Total: $3,259,868

Number 1: Denver County

Recreational: $8,231,484
Medical: $5,898,273

Total: $14,129,757

All Counties Total

$34,988,901
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