For a little over two years now the State of Colorado has embraced the recreational use of marijuana. Legalization of pot has since been shown by preliminary studies to reduce crime rates, generate massive income, and present some weighty regulation issues. On the front burner of regulation now for the pioneering state is a fresh quandary about what to do with a surplus of tax revenue generated by the newly blooming industry.

2014 marked the first official year of the retail weed industry in Colorado and business closed out nicely gathering upwards of $50 million in recreational marijuana taxes. This significantly successful trailblazing has in turn scorched some lawmakers as a 1992 amendment to Colorado’s state constitution known as TABOR (The Taxpayer Bill of Rights) limits the state’s ability to collect on the plentiful bounty.

According to initial estimates reported by the AP, from government budget projections, adult Coloradans are primed to collect up to $30 million in tax refunds. However this forecast is already meeting opposition by Democrats and Republicans within the GOP, with state senators literally describing the situation as absurd, and Coloradans may soon be asked to vote on proposed changes to tax law that would lift the tax cap for marijuana sales. If implemented the changes could potentially redirect tax revenue into drug education programs and improvement of police training. Coloradans have previously approved a 15 percent excise tax on marijuana sales for schools and a 10 percent sales tax purposed for lawmakers.

Voters opinions vary around the present system of pot taxation, with some dispensary patrons simply happy to have the money go to schools while others believe the tax to be entirely too high. On The Denver Post Twitter feed comments support the latter disposition with the consensus that the taxes make merchandise too expensive and giving tax money back to residents is a good thing.

Regardless of the decision as to allocation of Colorado’s current surplus of tax revenue from legal pot, the industry continues to expand, ensuring a constant mix of growth and regulation. Nationwide the legal marijuana industry saw profit growth amounting to 74 percent last year alone.