TRENTON -- Back from a four-day "fact-finding mission" in Colorado, a state lawmaker on Tuesday said he observed a "tightly regulated" recreational marijuana industry that could be replicated in New Jersey -- with some adjustments.

Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), who sponsored a marijuana legalization bill in 2014, said he expects to introduce a revised version "within the next 60 days" based on what he learned from the trip to Boulder, Golden and Denver. He said he visited dispensaries and met with business owners, law enforcement officers, and state officials and discussed the effects of legalizing pot 2-1/2 years ago.

"The sale and use of marijuana is tightly regulated in Colorado and the regulated industry seems to be working very well," Scutari, an attorney and municipal prosecutor said during a Statehouse press conference. "I could not be more pleasantly surprised in what I saw."

Five Lessons from Colorado:

1. It's not all about the money, but there is a lot of it to be made.

In taxes and fees, Colorado took in $135 million last year. The potential financial benefits of legalization were highlighted in a recent report estimating New Jersey could reap $300 million a year in sales tax revenue. This does not include the manufacturing, farming and retail jobs that have been created.

"You can't ignore the financial impact. Who doesn't want an extra couple hundred million dollars in state coffers? If someone tells me they don't want that, I don't think they should be in office," he said.

2. Colorado's cities are not suffering as a result of legalization.

Scutari said he was told legalization has not driven up crime in Colorado. Law enforcement officials and researchers have said crime did rise in Denver in 2015 but no one can tie it to legalizing marijuana.

"I saw vibrant small communities which had no discernible changes as a result of marijuana being legalized. I didn't see anybody out ingesting it," Scutari said. "We interviewed dozens of people on the street and overwhelmingly the response was positive."

3. Colorado is having difficulty regulating home-grown marijuana.

Growing and selling operations are governed by clear tough rules. Police said keeping track of home cultivators is a problem -- a fact that Scutari said gives him pause, although he added: "I'm not going to say we are taking it out of the bill."

4. Police will need to hone their drug-recognition skills.

There is no breathalyzer for people driving under the influence of marijuana. But officers can be trained to examine a driver's pupils, for instance, to detect if someone is stoned, Scutari said. This training needs to be more widely available, he said.

5. Edible products need to be clearly labeled.

Holding up three empty containers for marijuana-infused gummy candies, chocolates and a beverage, Scutari said Colorado could do a better job labeling the portion size describing the side effects of edible products.

Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) brought these empty containers back from Colorado to show how clearer labels are needed for pot-infused edible products. (Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media)

Scutari also said the trip cemented his beliefs on the societal benefits of marijuana legalization.

"Our current marijuana laws simply do not work," he said. "Every year millions of dollars are spent on enforcement, residents are being charged with marijuana offenses and our communities are being victimized by crimes carried out who are engaged in the illegal drug trade."

Scutari paid for his trip and will seek reimbursement from his campaign fund, said Trish Graber, spokeswoman for the Senate Majority Office.

Scutari said he did not try marijuana during the trip, nor has he ever used it. "I did not want this trip to be about my personal experience with marijuana," he said.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.