‘This can be done right’: how Colorado sparked a decade of marijuana reform

Not only did it create a booming avenue of tourism for Denver, but it caused a domino effect, leading to 19 states and DC legalizing recreational marijuana

Ten years ago voters in Colorado approved a ballot measure called Amendment 64 that legalized cannabis for adult, recreational use. This not only created a booming avenue of tourism for Denver - which became the Las Vegas of legal weed - but sparked a domino effect of similar reforms across the US, eventually leading 19 states (and DC) to legalize recreational marijuana, and increase the number of medically legal states to 37.

Since then, Colorado has racked up $13.2bn in cannabis sales, which has gleaned $2.2bn in taxes and fees for the state.