Colorado Cracks $1.6 Billion in Annual Cannabis Sales for the First Time Ever

America’s first legal weed market is still going strong despite growing competition across the country.

In the nearly six years since Colorado debuted the United States’ first adult-use legal weed market, the Rocky Mountain State has taken on new life as tourist hot spot for stoners from across the globe. But as cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Chicago joined the recreational green rush, recent sales statistics show that Colorado has continued to hold court as one of America’s favorite hash hubs.

According to Westword, a new report from the Colorado Department of Revenue showed $141 in total weed sales for November 2019, pushing the states yearlong total past $1.6 billion for the first time since legal cannabis sales went live in 2014.

A number of industry insiders predicted Colorado’s astronomical cannabis sales numbers to come down to earth as more states passed legalization laws and welcomed their own weed tourism, but with one month left to calculate in 2019, the Centennial State has already surpassed expectations with record sales every single year.

In years past, Colorado has eclipsed $1.5 billion in annual weed sales, but never surpassed the $1.6 billion landmark. Compared to last years numbers, and with the addition of even a conservative estimate for December’s sales totals, Colorado’s 2019 cannabis purchases will have outpaced 2018’s pot sales numbers by more than 5%.

When Colorado dispensaries passed the $1 billion sales threshold in June, Governor Jared Polis voiced his admiration for the state’s highly regulated, welcoming, and consistent cannabis market.

“We were one of the first states to create a comprehensive approach to the cannabis market,” Gov. Polis told CNBC this past summer. “We built a first-mover advantage into a strong leadership role in America and around the world.”

So if you’re planning a 2020 trip to check out one of America’s burgeoning legal weed industries, don’t let the foggy haze of San Francisco or Detroit’s motor city kush push you away from Denver’s legendary green mile and the US’ OG adult-use vacation getaway.