Colorado has the fastest growing economy in the
United States,ix and Colorado’s unemployment
rate is at a six-year low.x
According to the Department of Revenue, 16,000
people were licensed to work in the marijuana
industry as of December 31, 2014,xi though not
all those with licenses may be actively working in
the industry.
Jack Strauss, an economist at the University of
Denver, assessed the economic impact of two
dispensaries in Denver, Evergreen Apothecary
and Colorado Harvest Company.xii Workers at the
two dispensaries receive an average wage of $17
per hour. Strauss found that the economic impact
of the two dispensaries amounted to 280 jobs
and $30 million in total economic output between
January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2014, and that the
two dispensaries contribute 10 times the tax
revenue of either a typical restaurant or retail
store.