Photo Gallery Pot Paradise
The grass business is booming in Colorado after the state legalized marijuana on January 1st. With Washington having done the same, entrepreneurs are seeing green.
Here, a cannabis cultivation site is pictured in Denver. Analysts estimate there is the potential for a $110 billion market for cannabis, four times the revenues generated each year by the cigarette industry.
Here, a saleswoman talks to a customer about different varieties of marijuana available at the Dr. Reefer marijuana dispensary in Boulder, Colorado.
Food products containing the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, are available in all shapes, sizes and flavors -- from mint strips to chocolate pralines to energy drinks.
The state of Colorado estimates the marijuana industry will generate up to $134 million in tax revenues within a year. The state currently only earns around $40 million on duties levied on alcohol sales.
Some are very optimistic about prospects for business: One investor believes the market could grown in value to $10 to $12 billion within the next five years -- the kind of growth rates last seen during the Dot.Com boom.
