The Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) of the Colorado Department of Revenue has released its fifth annual update.
The report gives an overview of Colorado’s legal cannabis industry using data from the metrc seed-to-sale tracking system.
To operate in Colorado, all medical and adult-use cannabis businesses are required to use metrc as their primary inventory tracking system.
“Data collection continues to be a priority at the MED,” said MED Director Jim Burack in a statement. “This ongoing analysis and compilation of industry information helps inform the public and contributes to our outreach efforts to stakeholders.”
According to the new report, there was an 8 percent decrease in the total number of medical business licenses in Colorado in 2018 while the number of adult-use business licenses increased by 3 percent.
Medical cannabis business licenses decreased by 8 percent in 2017 as well.
Approximately 75 percent of all cannabis cultivated in Colorado from July to December of 2018 was grown for the adult-use market and accounted for 66 percent of all flower sold to consumers during the entire year.
Denver, Pueblo, El Paso, and Boulder Counties grew the most cannabis each month for the third year in a row.
The adult-use market also accounted for 86 percent of edibles sold in 2018.
