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It’s been 10 years since Boulder and Colorado launched the first legal recreational marijuana market in the world and became a pioneer in drug reform. Ten years ago, 2015,     Colorado experienced its first legal marijuana sales. As always, Colorado was a nationwide leader. Now, after well over a decade of work by activists, civilians, legislators, medical people, laboratory experts, marketing experts,  and the rest of us, we have marijuana sales recreationaly and medically. We have a lab-tested safe source of marijuana, absent mold, pesticides, and other inclusions that we can all live well without!

1. The biggest challenge facing the author of this blog is narrowing the 10 year list down to just a couple of pithy accomplishments.
2. 2014  The most exciting accomplishment in the legal world puts Colorado first yet again! The Colorado Bar Association was the first in the nation to have a Cannabis Law Section. The State Bar Association was quick in picking up on the need for lawyers in all of the legal fields to learn about cannabis. Whether it is IP (intellectual property like copyrights and trademarks) or landlord-tenant (leasing warehouses for grows and more) we as lawyers want to be able to best advise our clients. I am VERY HAPPY to share that the legal work is becoming less and less defending people charged with drug crimes. More and more, the legal challenges are including employment issues, zoning issues, and more of what we think of as “civil law” issues. No one is going to jail! (no legal advice intended. SOME can still manage to go to jail, but the effort it takes is way more. Staying out of jail becomes easier by the hour.
3. 2015  Recreational Pot Sales begin.  2015 was a great year for pot program progress.
4. In 2016 we saw the beginnings of legal pot-related crime such as burglaries of dispensaries and more. This is an ongoing problem which the MED Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Department of Revenue addresses. The MED becomes more active in regulating the industry from seeds to smoke, cannabis to candy.
5. 2017 sets a new monthly sales record. $131 million dollars in revenue marked a new high. 
6. 2018 A consensus was reached in finding agreement that marijuana is without question safer than alcohol.
7. 2019 Massive record clearing for pot convictions is finally a reality. Tax revenues exceeded $1 billion dollars. That’s the “B” word, not just the “M” word. A billion dollars in Colorado in tax revenues!
8. 2020  Marijuana vending machines, dramatically record sales and COVID impact dominated the year in pot for 2020.
9. 2021 total pot sales to date exceed 10 billion dollars. Yup, that’s the “B” word!
10. 2022  As availability becomes smoother and easier, forms of cannabis broadens. including various THC extracts , infused beer and more.2023  The 11th event is a bonus entry.
11. The most important cannabis event in Colorado for 2023 was the Mile High 420 Festival. This event took place on Thursday, April 20th, from 1 pm to 10 pm at Civic Center Park in Denver. Lensworth and Debi celebrated their 38th anniversary on 4/20, predating the origins of the 4/20 event. As a presenter over many years at the Denver event, I was able to wish Debi a Happy Anniversary to a crowd of thousands! 

Riding Off Into The Sunset After A Great Decade’s Work