US: Colorado stores blaze a trail - selling pot for recreational use Colorado has made history by becoming the first US state to allow stores to sell pot for recreational purposes. Iraq War veteran Sean Azzariti became one of the first people in the US to legally buy marijuana for recreational use. Colorado already allowed sale for medical use, but Azzariti does not have a pot prescription for his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). "Now I get to use recreational cannabis to help alleviate my PTSD and it's a stepping stone for other states to help other veterans, as well," Azzariti told reporters as he made his purchase. Betty Aldworth of the Cannabis Industry Association said the industry would be a huge earner for the state. In Colorado we expect nearly $400 million dollars in sales next year. Across the nation, the marijuana industries will create $2.34 billion dollars of economic activity," Aldworth told a news conference. Colorado has blazed a trail, which other parts of the US look set to follow. Washington state voted to legalize marijuana in 2012 and its pot retailers are expected to start opening up shop later this year.