Report: Colorado Marijuana Industry is Already Bigger than Craft Beer

Article by Adrian D. Garci, Denverite

Colorado’s marijuana industry generated a whopping $2.39 billion last year, according to a new report from the research collaborative The Marijuana Policy Group.

If the numbers are right, Colorado’s still budding cannabis industry is already worth more than the much-celebrated craft beer industry, the report officially released Wednesday shows.

Last year, Colorado’s small and independent beer makers generated $1.7 billion, according to a report released earlier this year by the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Marijuana tax revenues were three times larger than alcohol, and 14 percent larger than casino revenues in 2015, according to the new report.

 Cannabis companies also boasted larger employment with 12,591 direct jobs in the industry in 2015 compared to 7,776 people working in craft beer.

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