A customer pays for cannabis products at Essence Vegas Cannabis Dispensary after the start of recreational marijuana sales began on July 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller, Getty Images)

Nevada racks up $3 million in marijuana sales during early days of rollout


Updated July 6, 2017 at 9:47 a.m. The following corrected information has been added to this article: An earlier version had an incorrect figure for the amount of sales tax that has been generated.

The first four days of legal recreational marijuana sales generated $3 million in sales revenue and about $500,000 in tax revenue, putting Nevada on pace to achieve an estimated $30 million in sales revenue over the next six months of recreational sales, according to the Nevada Dispensary Association.

The sales figure was generated from Saturday’s first day of recreational marijuana sales to Tuesday. The tax rate for recreational pot is 33 to 38 percent, depending on local regulations, with all state and local taxes included.

“We had a higher demand than everybody initially thought,” dispensary association director Riana Durrett said. “It shows this market really exists.”

Thousands of marijuana shoppers took to dispensaries over the weekend, forming lines as long as three hours for their chance to legally purchase the plant. Nevadans passed Ballot Question 2 in November, legalizing the use and possession of up to one ounce of marijuana flower or up to one-eighth ounce of concentrates. Legislation allowing sales of the plant at medically licensed dispensaries was finalized in late May.

Nevada was one of four states to legalize recreational use of the plant in November’s election. In addition, four other states allow recreational pot sales.

Information from: Las Vegas Sun