Southwestern states reaching cannabis plateau?

Despite cannabis sales at a seven year low in Colorado retailers in Dinosaur are capitalizing on a five-minute drive to the Utah border and a couple of hours away from Wyoming. In northeastern Colorado, Sedgwick has three dispensaries and is just a few miles from the horrible red state of Nebraska.

After nearly three years, Arizona’s recreational and medical marijuana markets seem to have found an equilibrium, with adult-use cannabis consistently making up at least twice as many sales as the more heavily regulated medical industry. In November, Arizona medical cannabis consumers purchased 4,468 pounds of marijuana in various forms, down from 4,475 reported in October. The year to date total through November, was 51,543 pounds. [Cannabis sales begin to settle into pattern as 3rd anniversary for recreational pot use approaches]

With forty four dispensaries and counting, Santa Fe is nearing "cannabis retail oversaturation" so some merchants are offering $100 ounces, penny pre-rolls or even free grams with purchases.

Duke Rodriguez is the CEO of Ultrahealth, one of the state’s largest cannabis operators. He said that the sheer number of cannabis businesses is simply unsustainable. [New Mexican cannabis operators voice concern over current market conditions]

But budtenders in the border town of Sunland Park are laughing all the way to the bank as millions in sales to Texans have boosted revenues for public safety. 

Oregon is also seeing oversaturation so vendors are asking the legislature to restrict licensure. 

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has signed on to a letter with the attorneys general of Illinois, California, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey and Rhode Island urging Drug Enforcement Administrator Anne Milgram to make a final rule dropping cannabis to a Schedule III classification.

🌿 The letter adds that both the FDA and NIDA are in agreement with HHS’ recommendation. https://t.co/q66o2V6CI0

— NORML (@NORML) January 13, 2024