Marijuana Sales In Colorado Dropped In August For The First Time Since April

Colorado's monthly marijuana sales were down in August, dropping for the first time since April.

Overall the industry is still strong, after some speed bumps early on in the COVID-19 pandemic.

People spent $218,601,341 on cannabis in August, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.

That’s down 3.43 percent from July — a month that set a record for the state with $226,374,568 in sales. But still, August's total is the second-highest ever. As usual, most of that money came from recreational pot sales. August also brought in more than $40,695,613 in tax revenue.

Every year, sales typically jump around July and August thanks largely to summer tourism in Colorado. The coronavirus limited travel plans this year, but the marijuana industry saw quite the climb after the state slowly started to open back up in April.

With help from the state, the industry has had to adapt in response to the pandemic, with curbside pickups and even some dispensaries offering delivery of medical marijuana. 

And yet, sales in 2020 are on track to eclipse last year’s total of $1,747,990,628 by this fall.

CPR’s Jim Hill contributed to this report.