Colorado nears decision on spending pot taxes

Colorado budget-writers are nearing a decision on how new marijuana taxes should be spent.

The Joint Budget Committee is expected to approve a spending proposal Monday that involves saving most of the recreational marijuana tax money. However, some would be spent on youth drug-use prevention and education.

Monday’s vote is just the beginning of a vigorous fight over how the money should be spent. The full Legislature must agree to the JBC’s proposal, and already some are sniping over spending the marijuana money in other ways.

A House debate last week over police officer training slowed when some Republicans argued that marijuana taxes should be used to pay for the training, while others want to see more money saved in case marijuana revenues dip.