Only one week into legal sales and cannabis is in short supply.
The US state of Colorado became the first to legalise the sale of the drug for recreational use. Previously, any legal sales were limited to those suffering from acute medical conditions.
An estimated 100,000 people descended on the three dozen shops so far licensed to sell cannabis since New Year’s Day.
The volume of trade, estimated to be $5 million, has created a shortage.
A sign in the window at The Clinic, a cannabis shop in Denver, read: “We are currently out of recreational cannabis. Please check back tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Others shops in Denver reported running out of edible cannabis-infused products like chocolates and cakes.
Some have begun rationing sales to customers, only allowing them to buy a quarter ounce rather than the maximum of an ounce allowed by law.
The northwest state of Washington plans to open its first legal shops later this year while the state of Alaska is likely to hold a referendum on the issue in August.
It would be the third US state to legalise the drug for recreational use even though it remains illegal under federal law.
