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First year of legal recreational cannabis brings in $1 billion revenue, surpassing projections

Election 2020-Marijuana Legalization
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PHOENIX — Saturday will mark one year since recreational marijuana sales were legalized in Arizona, bringing in more than $1 billion in total revenue.

Arizona's Department of Revenue announced the total gross cannabis sales reached more than $1.2 billion, not including December's final reports, surpassing initial projections.

It also far surpassed the first-year sales of other states that have legalized recreational marijuana. For example, revenue from Colorado was $292 million, Oregon had nearly $345 million, Washington at more than $185 million, and Nevada at nearly $425 million.

Tax revenue from recreational cannabis sales brought in more than $190 million in tax revenue.

Of that year's worth of tax revenue:

  • $7.3 million is Education Sales Tax
  • $92.9 million is Marijuana Excise Tax, which funds community colleges, county health departments and more