Weed was a cottage industry in our fair state of Colorado in 2015 - to the tune of almost $1 billion in sales. That figure sums up both the medical and recreational sales, according to the Department of Revenue. This was the second official year of retail sales in the state. It is a massive gain from even 2014, when sales were $700 million.
The Cannabist says, "For those who love to geek out on weed math, here's how it all breaks down:
On the recreational side — approximately $588 million in total — pot sales generated more than $113 million in revenue for the state in 2015: $109.1 million from taxes, and $4.7 million in license and application fees.
On the medical side — representing $408 million in sales — more than $21 million in revenue was generated. The state made $11.4 million in taxes, and $9.8 million from license and application fees.
Remember that Colorado sets aside the first $40 million raised from the excise tax on wholesale transfers of recreational marijuana for public school construction. The rest of the revenue will go toward prevention of youth drug use, addiction treatment, research, and public-education campaigns."
Where does this leave the citizens in the eyes of the law? Lawmakers are still grappling with the impact of more stoned drivers hitting the roads. Since there is not a Breathalyzer-type test for driving while high, testing THC levels can be a tricky thing. Also THC is in your system weeks or even months after you've smoked weed, so even though the moment you're driving and get pulled over you're not high, the test can still come back positive.
More from The Cannabist,"2015 was the second year the Colorado State Highway Patrol tracked the number of marijuana-specific DUI charges. Of the 4,546 people issued citations for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 665 had marijuana in their system when they were arrested."
The State Patrol is test-driving five different THC-detecting devices. Information about the devices, the companies that manufacture them, how effective they are, how much they cost, which troopers are using them, etc., is all still under wraps. When troopers pull over drivers on suspicion of driving while stoned, they ask whether the driver would like to participate in the program.
At The Orr Law Firm we highly recommend that you DO NOT agree to this experimental test and put yourself at risk in this way. Contact a Colorado DUID or DWAI lawyer as soon as possible to help you work through the charges. Please call us or email at your earliest convenience as we have years of experience with charges such as these.