A decrease in marijuana sales is causing changes to the industry

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A local college professor said she has been in demand consulting cannabis dispensaries across the country about competing in a crowded field.

Shannon Donnelly, an adjunct professor of cannabis at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the marketplace for dispensaries in Colorado is different than it was in 2012 when voters approved recreational marijuana sales.

“People are not able to compete just because they have weed on their shelves,” she said.

Donnelly said the business model has now shifted from visitors to the state to those who live in Colorado.

“It’s no longer you can just make a dispensary and become rich,” said Donnelly. “You have to have something that differentiates yourself.”

“This is the most competitive time ever in the 11-year history. Marijuana sales have plummeted since the pandemic,” a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses said.

One reason for the decline, according to the spokesperson, is consumers are making decisions to cut back on discretionary spending, and marijuana purchases may be a casualty.

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