Colorado declares tax holiday for marijuana sales

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Inventory specialist David Shepard prepares date-of-purchase stickers that are required by law on all items sold, inside The Grass Station recreational marijuana store, in Denver, Colo., Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015.Image source, AP
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Taxes on marijuana in Colorado will resume on Thursday

Colorado has temporarily suspended taxes on marijuana after the US state brought in more tax revenue than anticipated.

The tax will return to 25% on Thursday but state law requires an automatic suspension of any new taxes in the event of an accounting error.

Pot retailers saw large crowds on the pot tax-free day.

Colorado became the first state in the US to legalise cannabis, after voters approved the change in 2012.

The average savings on Wednesday for a $200 ( £128) ounce of marijuana will be about $20 (£13), Fox31 Denver reports, and a regular 2.9% sales tax will still apply, as will taxes on medical marijuana.

The temporary tax break could cost Colorado up to $4m (£2.5m) in revenue.

The tax holiday also benefited retailers who saw customers line up before the stores opened for the day.

"I probably saved $45,000 before lunch," said a smiling Tim Cullen, owner of the Colorado Harvest Co. chain of marijuana dispensaries.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the cause of the tax holiday.