DENVER, COLORADO– One Chance to Grow Up is thanking the sponsors of Colorado Senate Bill 26-161, the Modernize Regulation of Cannabis-Related Products Bill, for introducing the bill for consideration to the General Assembly.

While the bill has been withdrawn from consideration by the sponsors, Senators Kyle Mullica and Marc Snyder, during the 2026 session, Colorado State Senate Bill 161 would have radically redefined the recreational marijuana taxation structure, replacing the 15% excise tax on retail marijuana cultivation facilities and the 15% sales tax on retail marijuana products with a $1 per pound excise tax and sales tax structure based on THC potency in retail cannabis products. 

One Chance to Grow Up supports a THC potency-based tax structure that discourages the consumption of high-potency THC products through more expensive price points for these products. 

“Our greatest concern is illicit youth access to high-potency THC products. In the most recent Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 62% of high school students who reported using marijuana in the past month used high concentrate products including vape pens, waxes, dabs and hash oils. We know from tobacco taxation that youth are highly price sensitive.” said Rachel O’Bryan, Co-Founder of One Chance to Grow Up.

The 2021 state-mandated Colorado resource states clearly that the use of high-potency concentrates can result in severe health effects like psychotic symptoms, psychotic disorder, mental health problems, Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) and/or dependence. This resource also states “people under 25 may be at greater risk of potential harm because the brain is not fully developed.” Marijuana stores are required with each sale of marijuana concentrate product to physically attach the resource to the receipt, container or package.

One Chance looks forward to future efforts into public health-based taxation efforts in Colorado.

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