Colorado Marijuana Tax Revenue Reaches $113 Million in First Half of 2026, $3.22 Billion Since Legalization

Colorado collected approximately $113 million in marijuana tax and fee revenue during the first half of 2026, bringing the state’s all-time total to around $3.22 billion, according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue.

The first-half total is about 4% lower than the approximately $118 million collected during the same period in 2025, a decline likely due to marijuana prices falling across the state.

Research firm Headset reports that the average price of dried marijuana flower in Colorado is now $4.61 per gram, down 25% from the $6.18 average recorded a year ago.

Colorado’s marijuana revenue comes primarily from a 15% special sales tax on recreational marijuana purchases and a 15% excise tax imposed on wholesale transfers. Medical marijuana is subject to the state’s standard 2.9% sales tax. Local governments may impose additional taxes that are not included in the statewide figures.

Colorado voters approved recreational marijuana legalization in November 2012, and the state’s first licensed stores opened on Jan. 1, 2014. Adults 21 and older may possess up to two ounces of marijuana, although purchases are generally limited to one ounce of flower, eight grams of concentrate or products containing up to 800 milligrams of THC per transaction.