Grand Junction Should Be More Like Aspen
Last year, Aspen pot shops sold over $11 million in cannabis products.
Aspen currently has 5 shops open for business with another 2 in the works. Euflora out of Denver and The Green Joint based in Glenwood Springs have both petitioned the city to add their brands to the mix. Joint co-owner Dan Sullivan said, "We've actually had our eyes on Aspen for several years now." The company just signed a lease that runs through April 30, 2021, where they'll be paying $3,200 a month in rent.
That's the other part of this deal. There's not only the tax revenue the city and country can collect, there's the shop space rent. Grand Junction has more than it's share of empty buildings. Most of which could easily accommodate a dispensary.
In 2017, Aspen marijuana shops sold $11.3 million in cannabis products. For the first time, weed sales outpaced the $10.5 million generated by their local liquor stores. Aspen currently has 5 liquor stores, and pending city approval, it will soon have 7 dispensaries. The dollars keep growing and rolling (no pun intended) in for cities and counties all across Colorado. Why are we passing (pun intended) here?
Credit: The Aspen Times