Colorado, where the Rocky Mountains loom over colorful valleys, thick forests, babbling brooks, and an innovative urban metropolis, first welcomed medical marijuana and then, over a decade later, became the first state in the nation to launch a legal recreational marijuana market. This bold move from the Centennial State has played a monumental role in shifting American perceptions of legal marijuana.

Is marijuana legal in Colorado?

Colorado has both medical and recreational marijuana laws within the state constitution. Marijuana possession and use is legal with a few important caveats regarding possession limits, underage distribution, trafficking, public use, and at-home cultivation.

When did marijuana become legal in Colorado?

In November 2000, Colorado voters narrowly passed Initiative 20, allowing medical marijuana within the state. Implemented early in 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.

Colorado voters approved recreational marijuana in November 2012, with recreational shops beginning sales a little over one year afterward, on January 1st, 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 - with Colorado Springs being the second largest population in the state with 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, recreational, or both?

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 do both. However, many dispensaries also specialize, carrying only medical or recreational.

Who can buy medically in Colorado? What about recreationally?

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 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 may 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. After providing evidence of a qualifying illness or condition, the physician certification must be submitted to the 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 from your home or have it mailed there.

Where can I smoke?

Open or public use 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 though, the home is also off limits. Hotels, bed & breakfasts, and your friends' houses are possible options.

Passed in November 2016, Ordinance 300 in Denver county is a pilot program for social cannabis use within the city. Beginning in 2017, businesses can apply for neighborhood-approved permits to allow consumption on site.

How do I 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 country!

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 worker's rights.

Is Marijuana Delivery legal in Colorado?

For recreational consumers, marijuana delivery services are out of reach.

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 a dispensary?

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 card is run as an ATM withdrawal. As a result, the billion-dollar industry functions predominantly as a cash economy.