Missouri sold more cannabis than Colorado during the first six months of the year, reaping $709 million in total revenue from all legal adult transactions.
National marijuana business magazine Green Market Report listed Missouri as fifth in the United States for legal cannabis sales from January to June. California brought in $2.1 billion in revenue, topping the list.
Michigan was next with $1.6 billion in sales, followed by Illinois with $847 million and Massachusetts just ahead of Missouri with $795 million. All have larger population numbers than Missouri, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Missouri's population is slightly larger than the population of Colorado — 6.2 million to 5.8 million residents.
In Missouri, legal recreational marijuana sales began in February 2023 after voters approved a ballot initiative the previous November.
If sales stay on pace, Missouri is estimated to generate $238 million in sales tax revenue in 2024. The tax helps fund veterans programs, public defenders, substance abuse programs and local communities.
Colorado, along with Washington, was the first state to legalize adult recreational marijuana in 2012. As legalization spread to other states, cannabis sales in Colorado began to slide. Over the past three years, revenue from cannabis sales in Colorado dropped from $194 million to $113 million.
Here are the top 10 states in cannabis sales for the first half of 2024:
1. California, $2.086 billion (population 38.9 million)
2. Michigan, $1.624 billion (10 million)
3. Illinois, $847 million (12.5 million)
4. Massachusetts, $795 million (7 million)
5. Missouri, $709 million (6.2 million)
6. Colorado, $679 million (5.8 million)
7. Washington, $596 million (7.8 million)
8. Arizona, $586 million (7.4 million)
9. Maryland, $552 million (6.2 million)
10. Oregon, $475 million (4.2 million)
