Dispensaries in Colorado

Colorado Dispensaries by City

Every Colorado city and town with at least one licensed cannabis store is listed here, largest first. Denver has far more stores than anywhere else, with Colorado Springs a distant second, but most towns on the list have only a handful. Many Colorado towns and counties have no stores at all, because state law lets local governments ban them. Click a city to see its stores.

Colorado Dispensaries by Region

About four in ten Colorado stores are in Denver and its suburbs, but licensed stores reach from the Nebraska line to the Four Corners, and from ski resorts to farm towns on the eastern plains. The counts below come from each store's county.

Denver (173 stores)

The City and County of Denver has the most dispensaries in the state. Our directory lists 183 stores with a Denver address, and 82 of them hold a medical licence, often alongside a retail licence at the same counter. A few stores with Denver mailing addresses actually sit in Adams or Arapahoe County, so they are counted with the suburbs below. Denver is also the main place in Colorado to find licensed marijuana hospitality businesses, covered in the section on where you can use cannabis.

Denver Suburbs and the Front Range (110 stores)

Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson and Broomfield counties ring Denver with stores. Aurora leads the suburbs with 24, none of them with a medical licence in our list, followed by Lakewood (10), Northglenn (8), Commerce City (7) and Edgewater (6). Small cities that border Denver, such as Glendale, Sheridan, Englewood, Mountain View and Federal Heights, have more stores than their size would suggest, because they sit within a short drive of many Denver residents. Golden, Wheat Ridge, Thornton, Brighton, Broomfield and Littleton fill in the rest. Douglas County, south of Denver, has no stores in our list.

Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak (99 stores)

Colorado Springs, the state's second-largest city, has 92 stores, and 84 of them hold a medical licence, a far higher share than in Denver. That makes the city the largest medical cannabis market in our Colorado list. Manitou Springs, at the foot of Pikes Peak, and Palmer Lake, on the north edge of El Paso County, have three stores each, and Cripple Creek has one in Teller County.

Northern Colorado: Boulder, Fort Collins and Greeley (88 stores)

Boulder has 23 stores, the most in Northern Colorado, and Boulder County adds more in Longmont (9), Louisville (7), Lafayette, Lyons, Nederland and Niwot. Fort Collins, home of Colorado State University, has 16, and 13 of them serve medical patients; Wellington and Berthoud have more in Larimer County. Greeley itself has no stores in our list, but Garden City, a small town next to it, has 4, and Fort Lupton, Ault and Milliken cover the rest of Weld County. Out on the northeast plains, Sterling, Log Lane Village near Fort Morgan and Sedgwick near the Nebraska line serve drivers on I-76. Nebraska has not legalized adult-use cannabis, and carrying it across the line is illegal.

Pueblo and Southern Colorado (77 stores)

Pueblo (22) and neighboring Pueblo West (13) give Pueblo County one of the larger store counts outside the Denver area, and most of those stores sell only adult-use cannabis. Trinidad, on I-25 just north of the New Mexico line, has 14 stores, a very large number for a small city. New Mexico has its own legal adult-use market, but carrying cannabis across the state line is still a federal crime. Walsenburg and Canon City add a few more, and the Arkansas Valley towns of Rocky Ford, Las Animas and Ordway have stores on the plains to the east. In the San Luis Valley, small stores serve Alamosa, Antonito, Fort Garland, San Luis, Moffat, Saguache, Villa Grove, Hooper, Del Norte and Romeo.

Mountain and Ski Towns (80 stores)

Most of Colorado's best-known resort towns allow stores. Aspen has 5, with more in Snowmass Village and Basalt; Breckenridge has 5, and Frisco, Dillon and Silverthorne cover the rest of Summit County. The town of Vail has no stores in our list, but Avon, Edwards and Eagle, down the valley on I-70, have nine between them. Telluride has 4, Crested Butte has 5 and the city of Gunnison has 7. Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Fraser, Granby, Grand Lake, Leadville, Salida, Buena Vista, Ridgway and Silverton have stores too, as do Idaho Springs, Georgetown and Dumont on I-70 and the casino towns of Central City and Black Hawk. Remember that buying in a ski town does not mean you can use it on the mountain: many ski areas sit on national forest land, where federal law applies.

Western Slope: Grand Junction to Durango (79 stores)

Durango leads the Western Slope with 15 stores, and Grand Junction, the region's largest city, has 10, with more in Palisade and De Beque. Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Rifle, Silt and Parachute line I-70 through Garfield County. In the southwest, Cortez, Mancos and Dolores sit near Mesa Verde National Park, where cannabis is banned because it is federal land, and Pagosa Springs has 6. Craig and Dinosaur serve the northwest corner, with Dinosaur right on the Utah line; Utah allows only medical cannabis. Delta, Hotchkiss, Paonia, Montrose, Olathe and Naturita round out the region.

How Colorado Licenses Dispensaries: The Marijuana Enforcement Division

Colorado voters approved medical marijuana in 2000 and adult-use cannabis in November 2012 with Amendment 64, which became Article XVIII, Section 16 of the state constitution. The Marijuana Enforcement Division, part of the Colorado Department of Revenue, licenses and regulates both medical and retail marijuana businesses, according to the legislature's Office of Legislative Legal Services.

A Colorado dispensary holds one of two main kinds of store licence. A retail marijuana store sells to anyone 21 or older. A medical marijuana store sells to registered patients. Many businesses hold both licences at the same address, which is why so many stores in our list show a Medical badge alongside adult-use sales. The state also issues accelerator store licences and two kinds of hospitality licence, one for on-site consumption only and one that also allows sales.

Local governments decide whether stores can open at all. A city, town or county may prohibit retail marijuana businesses by ordinance or by a vote of residents, and a county's ban covers only its unincorporated areas, since each town makes its own decision. Where stores are allowed, local governments can regulate their time, place, manner and number, set local licensing procedures and fees, and fine businesses that break local rules. Many Colorado communities, especially outside metro Denver and the resort towns, have chosen to ban stores, which is why our list covers 112 cities and towns in a state with many more. Each store needs both a state licence from the MED and approval from its local licensing authority.

Buying Cannabis in Colorado: Age, ID, Hours, Delivery and Limits

• Age and ID: Store staff must check a valid ID showing you are 21 or older before any retail sale, under C.R.S. 44-10-601, and no one under 21 may enter a retail store's restricted area. Out-of-state licences and passports work, so visitors can buy.
• Purchase limit: A retail store may sell no more than 1 ounce of flower, or its equivalent in other products, to one person in a single transaction, and no more than 8 grams of concentrate to a person in a day.
• Possession: Adults 21 and older may possess up to 2 ounces. The legislature raised the limit from 1 ounce in 2021, but a 2025 attempt to raise the 1-ounce sales limit was dropped before the bill passed.
• Hours: State rules let retail stores sell between 8 a.m. and midnight. Cities and counties can require shorter hours, and each store sets its own schedule within those limits, so check the listing before you go.
• Delivery: Retail delivery is legal only where the store holds a state delivery permit and the local government has approved it. Deliveries go only to adults 21 and older with ID, no more than once a day to the same person or address.
• Packaging: Stores must put each item in a sealed, nontransparent container at checkout. Keep it sealed in the car.
• Payment: Most stores take cash and debit, and many have an ATM. Credit cards are rarely accepted because adult-use cannabis is still illegal under federal law.

For possession penalties, home growing, driving rules and the rest of the law, see our full guide to Colorado marijuana laws.

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Colorado

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Medical Marijuana Registry runs the patient program. Patients need a certification from a health care provider for a debilitating or disabling condition, then apply online. According to the registry FAQ, the application fee is $52, charged each time you apply, and a provider certification lasts no more than a year, so patients renew every year.

Adults 18 and older can register. First-time applicants aged 18 to 20 need certifications from two providers at different medical practices, and minors need certifications from two physicians, CDPHE says. That makes the medical program the only legal way for people under 21 to buy cannabis in Colorado.

Patients get two practical advantages. First, higher limits: a medical store may sell a patient up to 2 ounces of flower, 8 grams of concentrate and 20,000 milligrams of products in a business day under C.R.S. 44-10-501(10), with a 2-gram daily concentrate limit for patients 18 to 20 and exceptions for patients whose provider documents a greater need. Second, lower taxes: medical purchases pay the 2.9% state sales tax instead of the 15% retail marijuana sales tax. 268 of the stores in our directory hold a medical licence and are shown with a Medical badge.

Colorado Cannabis Taxes and Prices

Colorado taxes recreational cannabis at two state levels, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue:

• 15% state retail marijuana sales tax on every retail sale, under C.R.S. 39-28.8-202. This is the tax you see at the register.
• 15% state excise tax on wholesale sales or transfers of retail marijuana from growers. Shoppers do not see it as a line item, but it is built into shelf prices.

Retail cannabis has been exempt from the regular 2.9% state sales tax since July 1, 2017, though accessories that contain no cannabis are still taxed. Cities and counties add their own sales and marijuana taxes, so the total at the register depends on the store's address. Medical marijuana is not subject to the 15% retail sales tax or the 15% excise tax and pays the 2.9% state sales tax instead.

In 2026 the legislature passed HB26-1409, which redirects the share of retail marijuana sales tax revenue that used to go to local governments into state funds, and HB26-1077, which changes how the wholesale price used for the excise tax is set. Neither bill changed the 15% rates shoppers pay, according to the Legislative Council Staff 2026 summary. Prices vary a lot from store to store, especially in Denver, where competition is heaviest, so compare out-the-door prices, daily deals and first-visit discounts rather than shelf tags.

Where You Can and Cannot Use Cannabis in Colorado

• No public use: Openly and publicly consuming 2 ounces or less is a drug petty offense under C.R.S. 18-18-406(5)(b), with a fine of up to $100 and up to 24 hours of community service. That covers sidewalks, parks, concert venues, ski resorts and the common areas of apartment and condo buildings.
• Private property: Use is allowed on private property with the owner's permission. Landlords and hotels can ban both use and possession, so check before you light up at a rental.
• Hospitality businesses: Consumption on the premises of a licensed marijuana hospitality business, under C.R.S. 44-10-609 and 44-10-610, is not public use. They need local approval as well as a state licence. Denver licenses them, including mobile lounges, and bans consumption at places with a liquor licence, according to the city's hospitality guidance.
• Vehicles: Drivers and passengers may not open cannabis packaging or use it in a vehicle, even when it is parked. A blood level of 5 nanograms of delta-9 THC per milliliter lets a court infer impairment, and you can be charged at any level if your driving is impaired.
• Federal land: Cannabis is illegal in national parks such as Rocky Mountain and Mesa Verde, in national forests, including ski slopes on Forest Service land, and on other federal property. Our federal marijuana law guide explains why.
• Airports and state lines: You cannot bring cannabis to Denver International Airport or any other Colorado airport, and taking any cannabis out of Colorado is illegal, even into New Mexico, which has its own legal market. Compare the rules in every state's cannabis laws.

Colorado Dispensary FAQ

Does your dispensary need more visibility? Cannabis shoppers use The Weed Street Journal to compare stores, read strain guides and check the law before they buy. Advertise with us · Spotted a wrong address, phone number or hours? Tell us and we will fix it free.

How we build this directory: Store names, addresses and licence numbers come from the Marijuana Enforcement Division's lists of licensed retail and medical marijuana stores. We refresh the data monthly and remove stores whose licences are no longer active. For the rules in every state, see our state-by-state cannabis law guides.