Colorado’s Department of Revenue says medical marijuana sales are continuing to drop.
Experts are worried about people with health conditions having access to the treatment they need. They say patients are paying more in taxes for similar products at recreational facilities.
“This is the lowest they’ve been since the legalization of recreational. I’m very worried,” said Truman Bradley.
Worried is an understatement for Truman Bradley, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a trade association in Colorado that provides support for marijuana-related businesses. He believes in safe access to clean products for all Coloradans and its visitors.
According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, medical marijuana sales in the state in June 2022 were $19.2 million, down from $34.5 million in June 2021 — a 44% drop. Bradley believes the industry is suffering for a number of reasons.
“On the medical side, some very strict purchase limits came in, you know, for pharmaceuticals. Patients can get up to a one-month supply. But for medical cannabis, their daily purchase limits for folks who are immunocompromised or disabled, this is a real problem,” he said.
Bradley says this is making some patients resort to buying recreational marijuana, which costs more due to the higher tax base and pushes some medical marijuana businesses to shut their doors. Buddy Boy dispensaries and Mile High Green Cross closed their locations over the last few months.
The City of Denver says it’s seen a decline in people applying for a medical marijuana license over the last five years, citing similar reasons.
“We think it might be just people don’t want to go through the hassle of getting their medical marijuana card. They’d rather just walk down the street and go to a recreational dispensary,” said Eric Escudero, spokesman for Denver Excise and Licenses.
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