DENVER | After months of uncertainty about marijuana and its tax potential, Colorado lawmakers start work Tuesday deciding how to spend pot taxes.
Voters have already decided to spend the first $40 million on school construction, but anything beyond that is up to lawmakers to appropriate.
Estimates vary widely on how much tax money Colorado will receive from recreational marijuana sales, which just started in January. But legislators should have at least $25 million to spend, with the likely winners to be youth drug-prevention programs and efforts to reduce stoned driving.
The legislative Joint Budget Committee meets Tuesday to review a proposal from the governor on spending the money. The governor has said the top priority should be reducing any negative impacts from legalization on children.
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And let the spending spree begin! “…reducing any negative impacts from legalization on children.” Hickenbopper And just how are you going to do that? Oh, I know, we’re going to have the child welfare department form inspection squads that will go to every home with a child and check to see if the parents are smoking pot.