Verify · Colorado
Colorado cannabis rules: what to know and how to check
In Colorado, adults 21 and older can buy cannabis from stores licensed by the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED). Check the store on MED’s list of licensed stores before you buy. Licensed products are lab-tested and labeled, and MED posts Health and Safety Advisories when it finds a problem.
Checked against the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado law on . Next review: .
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.
Official source
Colorado’s cannabis regulator: Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED)
- Check a business license Official license list
- See official recalls Recall notices from the regulator
- File a complaint Report an unlicensed business or a problem
- Regulator website Laws, rules and news
These links go to the regulator’s own website. CHSA does not copy or host license records, so you always see the official, current version.
What’s different in Colorado
Colorado voters legalized retail cannabis for adults 21 and older in November 2012 (Amendment 64). The Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), part of the Colorado Department of Revenue, licenses stores, growers, makers, delivery and testing labs, and writes the rules on testing, packages and labels. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) runs the Medical Marijuana Registry.
A store needs both a state license and approval from its city or county. A state license alone does not mean a business is open. Cities and counties can set stricter rules, and delivery is allowed only where the local government has passed a law that permits it.
Using cannabis in public places is against state law, and so is using it on federal land, such as national parks and forests. Leaving Colorado with any cannabis product is against the law, and you can't bring it to any airport.
Hemp products follow different rules. Under a 2023 state law, products with intoxicating cannabinoids may be made and sold only by MED licensees, with some exceptions for small amounts of THC. Many hemp products with more than 1.25 mg of THC can't be sold to anyone under 21.
Licensed does not mean risk-free. MED issues Health and Safety Advisories when it finds contaminants or other risks in licensed products, and it has issued several in 2026.
Colorado rules at a glance
These are the main state rules for retail cannabis. Cities and counties can add their own rules. Numbers in brackets link to the law or the regulator’s guidance.
| Topic | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 21 and older for retail cannabis. Stores must check a valid government photo ID twice: before you enter the sales area and again before the sale. Medical marijuana stores sell to Medical Marijuana Registry patients, including patients 18 to 20, who have a lower daily concentrate limit. | Source [1] 1 CCR 212-3, Rule 6-110(A)–(B); Rule 5-125(A)(1); cannabis.colorado.gov "Buying and selling" |
| How much you can have | Adults 21 and older may have up to 2 ounces of cannabis. A store may sell you up to 1 ounce of flower at a time, or the same amount as 8 grams of concentrate or 80 ten-milligram servings of THC in products. Adults may give up to 2 ounces to another adult 21 or older, but may not sell it. | Source [2] cannabis.colorado.gov "Using and having" and "Buying and selling"; HB21-1090; 1 CCR 212-3, Rule 6-110(C) |
| Growing at home | Each resident 21 or older may grow up to 6 plants, with no more than 3 flowering at one time. No more than 12 plants are allowed in one home unless local law permits more, and cities and counties can be stricter. Plants must be in an enclosed, locked space that can't be seen openly. Homegrown cannabis can't be sold. | Source [3] cannabis.colorado.gov "Home grow laws"; C.R.S. 18-18-406(3)(a)(II) as amended by HB17-1220 |
| Delivery | Allowed only from licensed stores that hold an MED delivery permit, and only where the local government has passed a law that permits delivery. Delivery goes to private homes only, not to schools, college campuses, public property or offices. The driver must check that you are 21 or older and the person who ordered. Limits: up to 1 ounce of flower or 8 grams of concentrate a day, one delivery per home per day, and no delivery outside Colorado. | Source [1] 1 CCR 212-3, Rule 3-615(A)(3), (B), (G)(7)–(8); Rule 6-110(F) |
| Required lab tests | An MED-licensed testing lab tests products before sale. Flower is tested for water activity, heavy metals (elemental impurities), pesticides and microbes. Solvent-based concentrates are tested for leftover solvents. Potency tests measure several forms of THC, plus CBD, CBDA and CBN. Businesses that earn a reduced-testing allowance don't have to test every batch, and MED can order a test at any time. | Source [1] 1 CCR 212-3, Rules 4-205, 4-210(B), 4-215(A)–(D), 4-230 |
| Labels | Labels must show the universal THC symbol with the words "Contains Marijuana. Keep away from children.", the THC and CBD potency, the batch number, license numbers and the date of sale. They must carry state warnings, including that the product was made without regulatory oversight for health, safety or efficacy. Labels can't make health claims, use the word "candy" or appeal to people under 21. Chocolates, gummies and baked goods must be stamped with the symbol. | Source [1] 1 CCR 212-3, Rule 3-1010(B), (C)(3), (D); Rule 3-335(D)(2) |
| Packaging | Edibles, concentrates and other cannabis products must be sold in child-resistant containers. Edibles with more than one serving must be in a resealable child-resistant container. Flower in a package that is not child-resistant must go into a child-resistant exit bag at the store. | Source [1] 1 CCR 212-3, Rule 3-1010(B)(11), (C)(1)–(2), (D)(1) |
| Edible THC limits | Retail edibles may have up to 10 mg of THC per serving and up to 100 mg in one package or unit. | Source [1] 1 CCR 212-3, Rule 3-335(D)(4)(a); Rule 3-1010(D)(1)(c) |
| Poison control | Colorado Poison Center (Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety): 1-800-222-1222 . Free, confidential, 24/7. Call 911 if someone has trouble breathing or won’t wake up. | www.copoisoncenter.org |
Colorado recalls
MED posts recall notices for licensed products. CHSA doesn’t keep a live list of Colorado recalls yet, so check MED’s own list.
Keep the package. A recall notice lists the product and its batch or ID number, which you match against your label.
How Colorado compares
Compare Colorado with the other states CHSA covers.
Sources
- Colorado Marijuana Rules, 1 CCR 212-3 (effective January 5, 2026)
- Laws about cannabis use
- Home grow laws
- Marijuana Enforcement Division (home page)
- Licensed Facilities
- MED licensed Stores list (Medical and Retail tabs)
- Licensee Information and Lookup Tool
- Health and Safety Advisory
- MED Reporting Form
- HB21-1090, Criminal Marijuana Offenses (2021, became law)
- HB17-1220, Prevent Marijuana Diversion to Illegal Market (signed act)
- Retail cannabis licensees
- Driving and traveling
- SB23-271, Intoxicating Cannabinoid Hemp and Marijuana (2023, became law)
- Medical Marijuana Registry
- Colorado Poison Center
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.