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The harmful effects of secondhand smoke and emissions from tobacco, marijuana, and electronic smoking devices continue to be an issue in Colorado. Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer.

This issue brief provides an overview of Colorado laws related to the retail sale of alcohol, including beer, wine, and spirits, in original sealed containers for off‑premises consumption.

The harmful effects of secondhand smoke and emissions from tobacco, marijuana, and electronic smoking devices continue to be an issue in Colorado.  Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the heart and blood vessels that lead to heart disease, and causes respiratory issues in children.  According to the National Institutes of Health, secondhand smoke from marijuana contains the same

This issue brief provides an overview of Colorado’s laws, at both the state and local level, related to the personal cultivation of marijuana.

Colorado voters legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2000 and retail marijuana in 2012 through amendments to the Colorado Constitution. This issue brief provides an overview of current state law and regulations pertaining to medical and retail marijuana, and discusses the role of local governments in regulating marijuana. The federal government considers all marijuana to be a Schedule I controlled substance with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. As such, the federal government does not have a direct role in marijuana regulation.

This issue brief provides an overview of marijuana tax revenue. Three state taxes apply to marijuana, with medical and retail marijuana taxed differently. Both medical and retail marijuana are subject to the existing 2.9 percent state sales tax, which is applied to most purchases in the state. Additionally, retail marijuana is subject to a 10 percent sales tax, levied on retail sales, and a 15 percent excise tax, levied on the first transfer of marijuana from a wholesaler to a processor or retailer.

This issue brief discusses the various offenses related to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Colorado, and their associated criminal and administrative penalties.

Colorado has a complex framework of laws regulating the manufacture, distribution, sale, and consumption of alcohol in the state. This issue brief outlines Colorado liquor laws; the regulatory structure; government revenue streams; and the role of state and local governments in licensing and enforcement.

In 2000, voters approved Amendment 20, allowing the possession and use of medical marijuana in Colorado. In 2012, voters approved Amendment 64, legalizing marijuana for use by adults aged 21 and older. Sales of retail marijuana for adult use began on January 1, 2014.