In one Colorado city, there are more marijuana sales than alcohol sales, making it what some believe is the first time legal marijuana sales have topped alcohol sales anywhere in the U.S.
The city of Aspen, a ski resort in Colorado, brought in $11.3 million through licensed vendors in income from marijuana last year. This is compared to $10.5 million brought in by off-licenses. The first cannabis shop opened in March 2014 in the city.
Matt Kind, a Colorado businessman who hosts a podcast about the cannabis industry, said to the Aspen Times, “I think it’s meaningful for a couple of reasons. One in particular is when people are visiting Aspen and adjusting to a high altitude, some don’t drink for that first couple of days. And I think people are looking for something different from alcohol, which is essentially poison, and marijuana is botanical. I don’t say that with judgment, but you feel some lingering effects with alcohol.”
