It’s been 10 years since Colorado launched the first legal recreational marijuana market in the world and became a pioneer in drug reform.
But when it came to the nascent industry, the first sales on Jan. 1, 2014, were more a starting block than a finish line.
In the decade since legalization, Colorado has refined laws, catalyzed new ones and served as a litmus test for the rest of the country as states followed its lead. Today, cannabis is recreationally available for sale in 24 states — where more than half of Americans live.
