January 1, 2014 – Recreational Marijuana Sold Legally in the U.S. For the First Time

On this date in history, Colorado became the first place in the U.S. where recreational marijuana could be sold legally in small amounts in specially approved stores. Residents aged 21 and over were allowed to buy up to an ounce at a time, and grow up to six plants at home. Vendors and growers were required to pass criminal background checks. In January, 2014 alone, the state of Colorado took in some $3.5 million in marijuana related taxes and fees.

Colorado voters had approved a measure in November 2012 making it legal for residents over 21 to buy small amounts of the stimulant.

During the COVID pandemic in 2020, sales soared:

Between January and October, the Colorado Department of Revenue reported the state marijuana industry sold $1.8 billion worth of marijuana, surpassing last year’s total sales of $1.7 billion and putting it on track to clear $2 billion for the first time in history.

With national sales from the first three quarters surpassing 2019 records, data firm New Frontier now predicts American marijuana sales to hit $20 billion by New Year’s Eve and $41 billion by 2025.”

On December 22, 2023, President Joe Biden announced that thousands of people convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana in Washington D.C. and on federal land would be eligible for pardons. He stated:

Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

An informative visual history of cannabis prohibition in the US is here.