Legal recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1, 2014, when at least 37 licensed stores opened and Iraq War veteran Sean Azzariti made the ceremonial first purchase at 3D Cannabis Center in Denver. Three and a half months earlier, on September 16, 2013, Denver had become the first big Colorado city to pass rules for retail marijuana businesses.
What Happened
September 16, 2013: Denver writes the rules
Colorado voters approved Amendment 64 in November 2012, but the amendment let each city decide whether to allow stores. Many large cities took a time-out to see how Denver would handle it. On Monday night, September 16, 2013, the Denver City Council passed its retail marijuana ordinance, the Denver Post reported. Its main terms:
- Through January 2016, only licensed medical marijuana businesses in good standing could get a retail license.
- Retail stores could share a location with a medical marijuana center.
- Every retail license required a public hearing, though one less restrictive than for liquor licenses.
- No new store could be within 1,000 feet of a school, child care center, drug or alcohol treatment center, or another marijuana facility, measured “as the crow flies” after an amendment by Councilman Paul Lopez.
- Any medical marijuana facility that had not applied for a city license by October 1 would be shut down.
“The whole world is watching, not just the country,” said Councilman Charlie Brown, who led the council committee on the issue. “It is a work in progress.” Brown also pressed Congress to let marijuana businesses use banks, describing owners who paid payroll for dozens of workers in cash.
January 1, 2014: the first day of sales
Sales could start at 8 a.m. At 3D Cannabis Center, a Denver shop formerly called Denver’s Discreet Dispensary, owner Toni Fox watched the clock in front of a crowd of reporters. The first customer was Azzariti, 32, a veteran who had campaigned for Amendment 64 and said he used cannabis for post-traumatic stress disorder. He bought an eighth of an ounce of Bubba Kush and a package of infused chocolate truffles for $59.74, including $10.46 in tax, according to the Denver Post. “We did it!” he said.
Across the state, from Telluride to Denver, thousands of people waited in line for hours, some arriving at 2 a.m. Store owners worried about running out of supply. At Medicine Man in Denver, lines wrapped around the building into the parking lot. Police reported no problems with the crowds, and Denver police issued two citations for public consumption. Coloradans could buy up to an ounce, visitors a quarter ounce, and all buyers had to be 21. Denver International Airport announced it would ban marijuana on its grounds, PBS NewsHour reported.
Why It Mattered
No government anywhere, not even the Netherlands, had licensed stores to sell marijuana to any adult for any purpose. Washington’s stores would not open until July 2014. Federal law still banned sales, but the Justice Department’s August 2013 Cole memo said it would not block either state if they regulated tightly. Colorado’s U.S. attorney, John Walsh, said on opening day that federal authorities would be “monitoring Colorado’s efforts to regulate marijuana closely.” Opponents, including former White House adviser Kevin Sabet, called it the dawn of “Big Marijuana.”
What Happened Next
The calm first day set the tone. Colorado’s market grew fast, and the year-by-year numbers are on our Colorado marijuana sales by year page. Denver amended its ordinance many times in the years that followed, as Councilman Brown had predicted.
Where It Stands in 2026
Adults 21 and older in Colorado can possess up to 2 ounces and buy from licensed stores; the details, including local rules, are in our Colorado marijuana laws guide. Adult-use marijuana remains illegal under federal law, as explained on our federal laws page.
First Day of Legal Marijuana Sales FAQ
When was the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales in Colorado?
January 1, 2014. Stores could open at 8 a.m.
Who made the first legal recreational marijuana purchase?
Sean Azzariti, a 32-year-old Iraq War veteran and legalization campaigner, at 3D Cannabis Center in Denver. He bought an eighth of Bubba Kush and infused truffles for $59.74.
How many stores opened on January 1, 2014?
At least 37 statewide, according to official lists compiled by the Denver Post.
What did Denver’s 2013 retail marijuana ordinance require?
Only existing medical marijuana businesses could get retail licenses through January 2016, every license needed a public hearing, and stores had to be 1,000 feet from schools, child care centers, treatment centers and other marijuana businesses.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.