Medical marijuana sales have experienced their lowest recorded monthly totals five times so far in 2022, and the price per pound of all commercial marijuana reached a record low last month, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue. The drop in prices has led to a steady decline in recreational sales for over a year, DOR data shows, with inflation and reduced marijuana tourism both cited as contributing factors by marijuana business owners.
However, the biggest contributor to tanking weed prices is an oversupply of product, according to a coalition of thirty Colorado marijuana growers and dispensary ownership groups.
“For the first time since legalization was implemented, marijuana sales and the revenue generated from marijuana taxes will be substantially lower than the previous calendar year,” reads a September 15 memo to the state from the coalition. “The problem is further exacerbated by the country’s broader economic situation, with record-high inflation driving down sales of consumer goods. Despite a decrease in demand, the supply of marijuana continues to increase, with new licenses being issued and additional cultivation capacity being authorized to current licensees.”
There are 798 active recreational marijuana growing licenses in Colorado, according to the MED, up from 716 at the beginning of 2021. During that same…