Pueblo County marks one year of legal recreational pot sales

Pueblo County made history one year ago when it became one of the first communities in Colorado to legalize recreational marijuana sales.

Marisol Therapeutics was one of two retail stores open in Pueblo County on New Year’s Day in 2014.

“It was a very, very busy month,” recalled store owner Mike Stetler with a laugh.

Since recreational marijuana became legal one year ago, about $15 million worth of pot has been sold in the county. That figure does not include December sales.

Pot sales are taxed at 17.4 percent in the county. Even so, John Solorio said he doesn’t mind paying the hefty tax because he said the stores offer something the black market cannot.

“One word: variety. There’s a great variety of different types, different strains,” Solorio said.

“It’s regulated. We test all our products and stuff so there’s no mold going out, there’s no bad product that’s going out,” Stetler said.

Legal weed has also brought tourists from all over the country to Colorado, although exactly how many has yet to be quantified. Chris Betts, a Texas resident, said it was one of the reasons he decided to celebrate New Year’s in Colorado.

“I could see myself going to grad school here. I currently go to Texas State University, and I want to go to Boulder,” Betts said.

But Paula McPheeters, a Pueblo West resident, said the proliferation of stores could eventually be enough to force her to leave, although she has no plans to right now.

“Most people who voted for it, I’ve heard from, have said this is not what we thought we were voting for,” McPheeters said.

Pueblo County Commissioners approved $200,000 from the county’s budget to be given to the Pueblo West Metropolitan District since the majority of the pot stores in the county are in Pueblo West.

Pot stores are not allowed in the city. Pueblo City Council is expected to vote this year whether to allow the stores.