Gov. Hickenlooper Proposes Plan for Recreational Marijuana Tax Revenue

A big announcement came today when Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper released his proposed spending plan for money collected by the state as a result of the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state.

From Colorado.gov:

When the voters passed Amendment 64, it became the state’s obligation to implement it sensibly and responsibly, mindful of all Coloradans (especially mindful of our Colorado families and children). We have strategies to do exactly that...Now, thanks to the revenues generated by Proposition AA, which voters passed last fall, we have the funding to put them in place.

The spending plan calls for $4.5 million in 2013-14 fiscal year and $99 million in 2014-15. In addition to $29-million in enforcement money already budgeted for this year and next, the spending plan allocates money like this:

• Youth marijuana use prevention and deterrence ($45.5 million);
• Substance abuse treatment ($40.4 million);
• Public health ($12.4 million);
• Regulatory oversight ($1.8 million);
• Law enforcement and public safety ($3.2 million); and
• Statewide coordination ($200,000)

Akin to just about every marijuana-related issue, there is already some controversy stirring about the spending plan and if it actually follows the voter wants that were passed with proposition AA.

Do you have any beefs with the spending plan? Sound off in the comments below.

Colorado’s total pot sales next fiscal year are estimated to be just over $600 million.That is a lot of money coming in and there could be even more as some are saying pot sales could top one-billion dollars.

Wow...almost one-hundred million dollars to be spent on substance abuse prevention, youth marijuana use prevention, and other "priorities". That is a lot of extra decimal places flying around the governor's desk.

[Colorado.gov]