Colorado Politics

State finds new way to make money on cannabis

Two years ago, it was fast and fancy cars.

This month, it’s weed, and just in time to celebrate 4/20.

The state is auctioning off rights to 14 different official cannabis-themed license plates. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Disability Funding Committee, which funds disability assistance and new programs.

The themes include INDICA and SATIVA (two types of weed), HEMP, STASH, ISIT420 and what’s likely to be one of the most popular: TEGRITY. That’s a reference to the Comedy Central show “South Park” and character Randy Marsh’s cannabis farm. As of Tuesday, that plate has garnered 125 bids and is at $3,270.

ISIT420, however, is the top draw as of Tuesday, at $6,510 and 65 bids

Two other plates up for auction, “GANJA” and “4-HEMP,” were both on a list of rejected personalized plates from the Department of Motor Vehicles back in 2009, according to the ACLU of Colorado

“Colorado is proud of our creativity and ingenuity. We’ve been a leader in the cannabis space for over a decade and this effort allows us to fund critical projects and programs in our disability community,” said Governor Jared Polis in a statement Tuesday.

According to the auction website, those who want these one-of-a-kind plates will bid on the right to own the use of the configuration of letters and numbers on their Colorado license plate or have the ability to purchase a novelty plate and retain the exclusive rights to use the configuration on their Colorado license plate at a later date.

Buyers are responsible for paying all standard registration fees, a personalized plate production fee, and any additional fees for a designer background if they don’t want the standard white and green license plate.

Polis also reminds Coloradans that it is not a good idea to mix driving and cannabis. “Cannabis impairs critical abilities needed to drive safely, which can result in a crash. A DUI can cost more than $13,500 and include jail time, loss of license and more,” the governor said.

Bidding is online and remains open until 4:20 p.m. Mountain Time on April 20. Questions should be directed to soc_dfc@state.co.us

The 2019 auction raised $23,540 for the disability committee, with the top bid for a plate with the letters “McLaren,” which netted $6,000.

A plate labeled “Itsfast” was the hottest plate of the auction, with 95 bids; it raised $4,005. A “Bentley” plate raised $3,500.

Cannabis-themed license plates up for auction through 4/20/21.
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