Six months into Colorado's great experiment in legal marijuana, the state is starting to get a handle on just how big the market is.

"This study finds total marijuana demand to be much larger than previously thought," according to a report released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Revenue, Marijuana Enforcement Division.

How much higher, so to speak, is demand by local Coloradans than expected? The state said the figure is 31 percent higher than its own recent assessment, and more than twice the prediction of a study by the Colorado Center for Law and Policy.

Colorado also has been surprised by the emerging popularity of other forms of marijuana consumption, such edibles. Another finding: when compared to Washington state, which opened its first retail medical marijuana stores this week, Colorado's overall consumption is lower due to its smaller population. On a per-capita basis, however, Coloradans use slightly more.

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Despite strong demand, however, Colorado is not collecting nearly as much in marijuana taxes as originally estimated.

"Conversions from medical consumption to retail consumption is relatively low," the report said.