Trev — If pot becomes legal in NJ, follow the money

On Friday, Sen. Nicholas Scutari told Jeff Edlestein, who was filling in for Bill Spadea on the morning show, that he expects legalized marijuana in New Jersey within the first 100 days of a Phil Murphy administration if the Democrat is elected governor. The money could even run through a "Bank of New Jersey" since they can't run it through a federal bank because weed is still federally illegal, unless Sen. Cory Booker has his way. My question is: where does the money go after that?

Colorado, as of June, has taken in a half a billion dollars since it's legalized weed. They've spent most of the money on schools. If marijuana can cut my school tax, I'd have no problem sending my kids to the Cheech and Chong Middle school or even Willie Nelson High.

There are those who believe that Murphy will raise taxes like crazy if he becomes governor. Can the legalization of marijuana, with all this money and jobs coming into the state, prevent him from doing that? That, to me, is the best selling point for legalized weed that I can see. What I'd like to see is a definite plan as to where the money will go if and when marijuana becomes legal in New Jersey and the results of what the money is doing.

If pot is going to be used to fix the potholes, then lower the gas tax that we were told was needed to fix the roads. Could the marijuana money be used to lower property taxes? Show us.

If pot becomes legal, people in New Jersey need to see how much money is being generated, where it's going and how it's making things better for us. If legalized marijuana money goes into the abyss and our taxes are still being raised despite it's legalization, then we're going to need marijuana in New Jersey just to cope with living here.

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Steve Trevelise is on the air from Monday-Thursday, 7 to 11 p.m. Tweet him @realstevetrev or @nj1015.