Colorado's smoking pot by the ton, state announces in legal marijuana market analysis

Colorado is smoking pot by the ton, and visitors are, too. That's the conclusion from Colorado pot regulators who have issued what might be the world's first market study of legal recreational marijuana.

The study released late Wednesday afternoon concluded that total market demand for marijuana in Colorado is about 130 metric tons a year. That's about 121 metric tons for residents and almost 9 metric tons a year for visitors. These figures include medical and recreational marijuana.

The state concluded that visitors account for 44 percent of the marijuana recreational retail sales in the Denver area. In the mountains and other vacation spots, visitors to Colorado account for 90 percent of recreational dispensary traffic.

Colorado's Department of Revenue compiled the market study, the first since retail sales began in January.

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Online: Colorado marijuana market study: http://1.usa.gov/1lVgbWY