Colorado
Status: In Colorado, individuals age 21+ may be in possession of marijuana, and state licensed businesses may cultivate, manufacture and sell marijuana.
| CBD Program | Medical Program | Recreational Program | Are Applications Open? |
| Legal | Legal | Legal | open |
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Number of Colorado Licenses Available
| Dispensaries | Cultivation | Manufacturing/Processing | Transportation |
| 1000+ | 1000+ | 1000+ | 1000+ |
You can read the full text of the Colorado law at: Colorado Office of Marijuana Enforcement
Colorado Marijuana Cultivation Guidelines
- Must apply to the state for a cultivation license before growing marijuana
- Must confirm that the Local Authority where you plan to operate allowsmarijuana cultivation businesses to operate within their jurisdiction
- Applicants must to be a resident of the state of Colorado for at least 2 years prior to applying for a license
- Number of cultivation licenses are limited by local government
- Applicant must submit a $4,500 nonrefundable application fee
REQUIRED COLORADO MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR CULTIVATION APPLICATION:
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED COLORADO MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR CULTIVATION APPLICATION:
Colorado Marijuana Product Manufacturer Guidelines
- Must apply to the state for a manufacturing license before producing marijuana
- Must confirm that the Local Authority where you plan to operate allowsmarijuana manufacturing businesses to operate within their jurisdiction
- Applicants must to be a resident of the state of Colorado for at least 2 years prior to applying for a license
- Number of manufacturing licenses are limited by local government
- Applicant must submit a $4,500 nonrefundable application fee
REQUIRED COLORADO MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MANUFACTURER APPLICATION:
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
RECOMMENDED COLORADO MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MANUFACTURER APPLICATION:
Colorado Marijuana Retail Store Guidelines
- Must apply to the state for a retail license before selling marijuana
- Must confirm that the Local Authority where you plan to operate allowsmarijuana retail stores to operate within their jurisdiction
- Applicants must to be a resident of the state of Colorado for at least 2 years prior to applying for a license
- Number of retail store licenses are limited by local government
- Applicant must submit a $4,500 nonrefundable application fee
REQUIRED COLORADO MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR RETAILER APPLICATION:
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Patient Recordkeeping Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
RECOMMENDED COLORADO MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR RETAILER APPLICATION:
The History of Colorado Marijuana
In 1975, Colorado joined a sweep of mostly western states that decriminalized marijuana. In 2000, Amendment 20 passed a statewide vote to create the first medical marijuana program in the state. A20 allowed individuals to have up to 2 ounces of marijuana and 6 of less plants. Dispensaries were able to open under this law and began to flourish. The law covered a number of qualifying conditions and loosely gave physicians the ultimate authority in who was qualified for a recommendation.
In 2012, Colorado Amendment 64 was signed into law after a successful passing in the general election. It made Colorado the first US state with an open recreational marijuana program and altered the state constitution.
In 2013, the law frameworks were created via multiple bills. One- HB 13-1317, created a tax code for the purpose of marijuana businesses and sales. It created a framework for dispensaries to sell for the purposes of recreational use, for cultivation licences, processing licences and allowed adults to grow up to 6 plants. Individuals may have up to one ounce in their possession. It also allowed that municipalities could choose whether to allow medical dispensaries, recreational and medical facilities or neither. Roughly half the municipalities in Colorado have chosen not to allow recreational dispensaries.
In 2016, House Bill 16-1359 was signed by Colorado Governor Hickenlooper, which removed the prohibition that persons on probation could not use medical marijuana. Also in 2016, the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) issued new rules regarding concentrates, which essentially changed what amount individuals were able to purchase at any time, giving weight to forms with higher THC levels. It did not alter the rules regarding what an individual could possess.
In June 2019, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 19-1230 into law, a measure allowing businesses to apply for cannabis “social use lounge” licenses. The new law permits cannabis consumption in licensed marijuana hospitality areas. This opens way for Amsterdam-style smoking lounges or coffee shops. Liquor licenses and cannabis hospitality licenses will be mutually exclusive for any one establishment.