Colorado, where the Rocky Mountains loom over colorful valleys, thick forests, babbling brooks, and an innovative urban metropolis, was the first in the United States to launch a legal recreational marijuana market. As exciting as this freedom is, we expect you to have questions.

Is Marijuana Legal in Colorado?

Colorado has both medical and recreational marijuana laws, each contained within the State constitution. Marijuana use under each amendment is legal with a few caveats  - possession limits, underage distribution, trafficking, public use, and at-home cultivation are the focus points of the law.

When Did Marijuana Become Legal in Colorado?

In November 2000, Colorado voters narrowly passed Initiative 20, allowing medical marijuana within the state. Implemented in early 2001, the measure didn’t receive widespread attention until the late 2000s, when clarifications from the Colorado Attorney General led to dispensaries rapidly popping up around the state.

Recreational marijuana was passed in November 2012, with recreational shops beginning sales a little over a year later, on January 1, 2014.

Where Are Dispensaries Located in Colorado?

Medical dispensaries are able to operate in 67 municipalities across the state, presiding over a total of 1,569 licensed cultivators, manufacturers, testing facilities, and retail centers.

Recreational dispensaries can operate in only 64 municipalities across the state.Colorado Springs is the second-largest population in the state that has a ban on recreational licensure. In total, the state has 1,353 licensed recreational cultivators, manufacturers, testing facilities, and sales outlets.

Are The Dispensaries Medical or Recreational?

Currently, more county and municipal governments allow medical sales than recreational sales. Colorado Springs, for instance, has plenty of medical dispensaries yet you’ll have to travel out of the city for recreational, sometimes as far as an hour away.

There is no law forbidding a dispensary location from holding dual licensure, so many dispensaries sell both medical and recreational cannabis. However, many dispensaries also specialize, carrying only medical or recreational marijuana.

Who Can Be a Medical Patient in Colorado? What About Recreational?

To be a medical patient in Colorado, you need to have a state-issued ID, proving residency. The program is not restricted to age, though parents must give full consent for children under 18 years of age to receive treatment.

In addition to being a resident, adults age 18 and older must receive a recommendation from a licensed doctor. Currently, Colorado’s medical patients are recommended to the medical program for the following debilitating illness:

• Cachexia

• Cancer

• Chronic pain

• Chronic nervous system disorders

• Glaucoma

• HIV or AIDS

• Nausea

• Persistent Muscle Spasms

• Seizures

Recreational customers, on the other hand, need only be age 21 or older and possess a valid ID.

How Do I Become a Medical Patient in Colorado?

There are various clinics around the state where you can see a doctor in order to receive a valid medical marijuana recommendation. You are required to pay for the visit out of pocket, with a cost between $50 and $100 dollars.

After providing evidence of a qualifying illness or condition, the physician certification must be submitted to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) via mail or online for review. If accepted, the CDPHE will alert you in email or post. You can print the card or have it mailed to your home.

Where Can I Consume Marijuana?

Open or public consumption is generally prohibited under state law. However, vagueness in legal terminology has provided some flexibility in an evolving industry, and a handful of lounges and marijuana social clubs currently exist across the state.

The most common and acceptable place to use cannabis is in the privacy of your own home. If you are a tourist or have a restrictive landlord, sometimes the home is also off limits. Hotels, bed & breakfasts, and your friends’ houses are possible options - just check with the location’s rules.

Passed in November 2016, Ordinance 300 in Denver County is a pilot program for social cannabis consumption within the city.

As of July 2018, very few public consumption licenses have been issued.

Amendment 64 specifies openly- and publicly-consumed cannabis is not allowed and it cannot be done in a way that would endanger others, echoing Colorado’s medical marijuana industry.

Public landmarks, concert venues, bars, restaurants, alleys, hotel lobbies, and schools all can be defined as public or open. Colorado law also bans smoking tobacco or marijuana inside public buildings in most cases. In city, state, and national parks, as well as ski slopes, hiking trails, and most campgrounds in the state, marijuana consumption is likely prohibited.

What Do I Need to Get a Job in the Colorado Marijuana Industry?

If it’s work in the up-and-coming marijuana industry you seek, the biggest barrier to entry is getting your badge. The Marijuana Enforcement Division, Colorado’s marijuana licensing authority, requires all industry workers to submit an application. The state uses the fees to do a thorough background check. Once approved, you will receive a badge with your photo, giving you the opportunity to work with any dispensary or marijuana production facility.

Check out our job board for positions and openings across the United States and Canada!

Is Drug Testing for Marijuana Legal in Colorado?

It is still legal for an employer or court to order a THC test in the state, though the practice is somewhat contested. Until Congress changes the prohibitive laws around marijuana on the federal level, marijuana will likely continue to play a role in drug testing policies in the workplace and legal system.

The Colorado Court of Appeals, in a 2013 ruling, has set the precedent stating while marijuana may be legal in Colorado, the industry functions under federal law. As marijuana remains a Schedule I drug, the use of marijuana off the job cannot be protected by workers’ rights.

Is Marijuana Delivery Legal in Colorado?

For recreational consumers, marijuana delivery services are not permitted.

If you are a medical patient, your direct caregiver has the ability to deliver marijuana and marijuana products directly to you. This is commonly reserved for immobile patients and those in underserved communities but can be utilized by any valid medical patient with a designated caregiver.

How Can I Pay for Marijuana at Colorado Dispensaries?  

Since cannabis is still federally illegal, banks are in a precarious position. Any funds received for federally-illegal activities could put the bank at risk. In addition, federal funds cannot be used to lend to marijuana businesses or recover funds in the event of fraud or theft.

This affects dispensaries’ ability to accept credit or debit cards. Some do allow you to use your debit card on purchases as long the debit is ran as an ATM withdrawal. As a result, the billion-dollar industry functions predominantly as a cash economy.