In Colorado you pay a 15% state marijuana sales tax on recreational cannabis, plus the state's standard 2.9% sales tax. Cities and counties stack their own marijuana and general sales taxes on top of that, so the real number at the register usually lands somewhere between about 20% and 30%, depending on where the shop sits.
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The three state-level taxes
15% retail marijuana sales tax
This is the one most people mean when they ask about weed tax in Colorado. It applies to recreational flower, concentrates, edibles, and vapes sold at retail. It started at 10% when legal sales began in 2014 and moved to 15% in 2017, where it has stayed. The rate is set in state law, not by the voter-approved amendment itself, so it can change with legislation.
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2.9% state sales tax
Retail marijuana is not exempt from Colorado's ordinary sales tax. The standard 2.9% state rate applies to the same transaction, on top of the special marijuana tax. So a recreational purchase already carries 17.9% in state tax before any city or county gets involved.
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15% excise tax at the wholesale level
Cultivators pay a 15% excise tax on retail marijuana, calculated against the average market rate the state publishes for flower, trim, and shake. That tax hits the wholesale side, which means it is baked into the shelf price you see rather than added at checkout. It is the reason Colorado bud often looks priced higher than black market flower before any register taxes appear.
Local taxes are where the total moves
Municipal and county taxes vary a lot, and that is why two dispensaries an hour apart can quote very different out-the-door totals. Denver is the clearest example of a stacked receipt:
- 15% state retail marijuana sales tax
- 2.9% state sales tax
- 5.5% Denver special marijuana sales tax
- Denver's regular city sales tax plus RTD and cultural district levies
Add those up and a Denver recreational purchase runs about 28% over the sticker price. A $40 eighth becomes roughly $51 at the counter.
Other cities set their own marijuana sales taxes, commonly in the 3% to 8% range, and some counties in unincorporated areas charge nothing extra beyond state tax. That gap is real money on a large order. Colorado Springs still bans retail recreational sales entirely, so medical is the only option there. Pueblo, Aurora, Boulder, and dozens of smaller towns each write their own rate.
Medical versus recreational
Medical marijuana is exempt from the 2.9% state sales tax, and the wholesale excise tax applies to retail marijuana rather than medical. Patients still pay local sales taxes where the city imposes them, and a few municipalities have added their own medical marijuana tax. The 15% special sales tax is a recreational-only charge. If you hold a valid Colorado medical card, your receipt looks noticeably different from the person behind you in line.
What the tax looks like on a receipt
A $40 recreational eighth in a city with no local marijuana tax comes to about $47 after the state's 17.9%. The same eighth in Denver lands near $51. On a $100 order of flower and edibles, the difference between a low-tax county and Denver is roughly $10. Concentrates and vapes follow the same percentage math, so a $30 gram of rosin carries the same effective rate as a $30 eighth of flower.
Things that trip people up
- Advertised prices on the menu are almost always pre-tax.
- Rates change. The legislature adjusts the state rate and cities adjust theirs by ballot measure.
- The average market rate updates monthly, which nudges the wholesale excise and eventually the shelf price.
- Discounts and loyalty pricing normally apply before tax, not after.
- Delivery and online orders are taxed at the rate of the jurisdiction where the sale happens.
Bottom line
Colorado's answer is simple at the state level: 15% marijuana sales tax plus 2.9% sales tax, for 17.9% before local add-ons. Where you shop decides the rest. Expect roughly 20% in low-tax areas and close to 30% in Denver and other cities that layer on their own marijuana levies.