Marijuana legalization opponents in Colorado say Texas shouldn't legalize marijuana, citing, among others, marijuana-related traffic deaths. Meanwhile, marijuana advocates say legalized pot increases job and provides more taxes to the state.(Photo: KHOU)

The marijuana industry in Colorado now employs an estimated 16,000 workers, generates $1 billion in annual sales and in 2014 generated approximately $76 million in taxes funneled into the state’s general fund.

But marijuana legalization opponents like Bob Doyle, the co-chair of Better Way Colorado (formerly known as Project SAM – Smart Approaches to Colorado), offered this advice for other states like Texas.

“The warning for Texas would be, don't do it. It's a failed policy approach,” Doyle said from his home in Centennial, Colo., a Denver-area suburb. Centennial is among the 70 percent of Colorado cities and county jurisdictions that, despite Denver’s now estimated 300 marijuana-related businesses, does not allow pot sales of any kind.

"Commercializing marijuana...