Denver to spend $3.4M to regulate pot industry

Denver will spend $3.4 million to hire more workers to help regulate the retail marijuana industry.

City councilors unanimously backed the plan Monday.

The Denver Post reports that 21 full-time employees and one part-time worker will be hired with the money, which comes from state and city marijuana sales tax revenue.

They will work on everything from discouraging the illegal use of pot by minors, enforcing building, fire and food safety rules and handling pot-related lawsuits.

The city says the plan will also allow it to collect data to track the impact of retail sales, which are now entering their seventh month.