• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailMarijuana

Here are the states that will sell the most recreational weed

By
Tory Newmyer
Tory Newmyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tory Newmyer
Tory Newmyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 14, 2015, 11:00 AM ET
Pot Prices Double as Colorado Retailers Roll Out Green Carpet
An employee pulls marijuana out of a large canister for a customer at the LoDo Wellness Center in downtown Denver, Colorado, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014. Colorado has just legalized the commercial production, sale, and recreational use of marijuana, while Washington State will begin its own pot liberalization initiative at the end of February. On Jan. 8, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state would join 20 others and the District of Columbia in allowing the drug for medical purposes. Photographer: Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Matthew Staver — Bloomberg/Getty Images

The era of legal pot is upon us. And the proof lies in all the green that green will yield. Fortune asked marijuana research firm New Frontier to crunch the numbers (modeled by Mee Inc.) to find the projected market size of the states most likely to legalize marijuana next. By 2020 those states are projected to host a multibillion-dollar market around the plant—a potentially compel­ ling argument for the rest to follow suit.

Below, the estimated size of the market ($ millions) for nonmedical marijuana in the 11 places expected to legalize it next. (It’s already legal in Alaska, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.) Height and color of the state indicate the percentage of people who smoked in the past 12 months in 2013 (latest available data).

MAC2-09-15-15

A version of this article appears in the September 15, 2015 issue of Fortune magazine with the headline “The United States of Weed.”

About the Author
By Tory Newmyer
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Retail

Nela Richardson, chief economist at Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP).
EconomyLabor
For jobless Gen Z, healthcare is the place to be as blue-collar hiring outstrips office jobs, says ADP’s top economist
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 8, 2026
2 days ago
Trump Store
PoliticsRetail
‘Trump must be doing wonders for the economy’: Online commenters jeer closure of suburban Philly Trump Store that ‘has kind of run its course’
By Mike Catalini and The Associated PressJanuary 7, 2026
3 days ago
RetailSoutheast Asia 500
Jollibee shares surge after the Filipino fried chicken chain says it’ll spin off its ‘higher-growth but more volatile’ global business
By Angelica AngJanuary 7, 2026
3 days ago
RetailLuxury
How a real estate scion’s risky dealmaking pushed Saks Global to the brink
By Phil WahbaJanuary 6, 2026
3 days ago
A McRib sandwich next to a red and white cardboard container reading "McRib" with the McDonald's arch on it.
LawFood and drink
What is the McRib really made of? A federal class action lawsuit alleges McDonald’s is misleading customers
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 6, 2026
4 days ago
RetailFood and drink
Pizza plummeted on the list of Americans’ favorite take-out options as they opt for more nutrient-dense slop bowls from Uber Eats
By Molly Liebergall and Morning BrewJanuary 6, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
Bill Gates warns the world is going 'backwards' and gives 5-year deadline before we enter a new Dark Age
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighJanuary 8, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Workplace Culture
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Crypto
Russia and Iran are increasingly turning to crypto—especially stablecoins—to avoid sanctions, report finds
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 8, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
White House says it's 'reviewing protocols' after Trump seemingly violated federal policy by disclosing jobs data early
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 9, 2026
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Google billionaire Larry Page copies the Jeff Bezos playbook, buying a $173 million Miami compound that will save him millions in taxes
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.