Edible marijuana sales shattering sales projections in Colorado

A one-month supply of marijuana edibles, gone in the first three days of January. That’s what the area’s largest supplier of marijuana edibles is saying about the incredible demand for the product since recreational sales were legalized in Colorado on Jan. 1. “We are working hard,” said Joe Hodas, chief marketing officer for Dixie Elixirs and Edibles. “We like to call ourselves the future of cannabis.” There is so much demand for edibles right now, they limit customers to two edible products a day at recreational pot shops like LoDo Wellness at 16th St. and Wazee in downtown Denver.

“Actually demand’s been huge,” said Hodas. “And our employees have been just killing it working ’round the clock.” Dixie makes marijuana infused chocolates, mints, topical lotions and elixirs. “Which is a soda that comes in a variety of flavors,” said Hodas. Shops like LoDo Wellness say without rationing edibles right now, they can’t keep the product on the shelves.

Dixie is building out a new 30,000 square foot warehouse and manufacturing facility to help meet significantly greater demand than expected. It should be fully operational this spring according to the company. The recreational marijuana industry is experiencing so much success in Colorado in the first two weeks of the New Year, there are already several new hiring services that provides temporary employees. Hemp Temps is one that many recreational shops and even Dixie uses. New job creation is shattering previous projections.

“We’re looking at upwards of 10,000 new jobs being created over the next few years,” said Hodas. There’s also a new crop of courier services catering specifically to the marijuana industry, in large part because marijuana is still prohibited by the federal government. “We can’t use traditional couriers to deliver our products,” said Hodas. “Obviously we can’t use mail.” So, pot specific businesses are helping to fill the gaps.

“There’s demand for the product. We’re really doing great stuff in terms of building the coffers in the state in terms of a tax and revenue standpoint,” said Hodas. So far, Colorado is the only state that allows recreational marijuana sales. Washington will do so later this year. Twenty states and Washington D.C. allow medical marijuana sales. Because of ambitious entrepreneurs and demand, some experts are forecasting $2.3 billion in legal U.S. sales of marijuana this year, and $10 billion by the year 2019.

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