Denver Loses its Number One Slot as the Top Spot for Marijuana

It's been more than a decade since Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use. It both feels like yesterday and so long ago all at the same time. Over the course of the past 11 years of legalized marijuana in the state of Colorado, pot tourism grew into a giant industry.

Friends from out of state asked about what it is like living in a state where some of the dispensaries looked like Apple stores, just for weed. Musicians still to this day still make comments about being in a city and state where marijuana is legal. All the while, the state of Colorado, along with counties and cities raked in the tax revenue from the sales.

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Denver, Colorado was essentially the capital of legal marijuana. However, times do change and they can change fast. According to a study done by Real Estate Witch Powered by Clever, Denver has been dethroned as the best weed city in the United States.

Portland, Oregon Powers to the Top Pot Spot in 2023

The study reveals that Portland, Oregon overtook Denver, Colorado in 2023 based on many factors. Here are just a few that put Portland, Oregon in the lead.

• Dispensaries per 100,000 residents - Denver has 11.5 dispensaries, Portland has 13.7
• Average dispensary rating - Denver has an average rating of 4.4, Portland has an average rating of 4.5

The Price of Weed

When it comes to marijuana, Denver is more expensive than Portland.

• Price per ounce - Denver's average price per ounce for high-quality marijuana is $242 versus Portland's high-quality cost of an ounce at $210.
• Visitors to Leafly are also higher in Portland at 72 versus Denver's 35.

Denver Beats Out Portland in a Few Weed-Related Categories

Denver did come out on top with scores higher than Portland when it came to pot passion, public perception scores, and head shops. Here is a fun fact, Portland has more Taco Bell locations than Denver, but just by a hair. Portland Taco Bell locations were at 11.2 per 100,000 residents and Denver Taco Bell locations were at 11 per 100,000 residents.

If you would like to see the full study, you can do so at Real Estate Witch.