Projected marijuana tax revenues. [updated: 4/20]

There are MANY reasons to keep marijuana illegal... but many would argue there are just as many if not more reasons to change that.

Looking at just the money involved, Making it legal would.

1) Take money out of the hands of violent criminal gangs, and direct it into the pockets of law abiding citizens.

2) Put what many consider a valuable but cheap medicine in the hands of paitents. Allowing them to avoid use of extremely powerful opiates, that can develop into life long and expensive addictions.

3) Put millions of dollars into our economy.
3a) Money from taxes (see below)
3b) Money from the legal production and distribution.

4) Ability to redirect federal/state/local funds away from activities associated with enforcement of pot laws. Redirection of funds will enable a large funding surges against violent crimes and other more harmful drugs, as well as an expansion into fighting 'internet based' crimes (identity theft, child porn, etc).

California     105.4
New York    65.5
Florida    48.2
Texas    46.6
Ohio    34.8
Michigan    32.4
Illinois    31.6
Pennsylvania    30.5
Washington    22.0
Virginia    20.9
North Carolina    20.6
Georgia    19.3
New Jersey    19.3
Massachusetts    18.4
Indiana    17.8
Colorado    17.6
Missouri    15.6
Minnesota    14.3
Oregon    14.1
Maryland    13.9
Wisconsin    13.4
Arizona    13.0
Louisiana    13.0
Tennessee    12.2
Kentucky    10.2
Connecticut    9.8
South Carolina    9.1
Alabama    8.9
Oklahoma    8.3
Nevada    7.9
Arkansas    6.7
Kansas    6.6
Mississippi    6.6
Iowa    6.2
New Hampshire    5.6
Nebraska    5.0
New Mexico    4.9
Utah    4.7
Rhode Island    4.6
Maine    4.1
West Virginia    4.1
Hawaii    4.0
Montana    3.6
Idaho    3.3
Alaska    2.8
District of Columbia    2.8
Vermont    2.8
Delaware    2.4
South Dakota    2.0
North Dakota    1.6
Wyoming    1.2
* Revenues based on state-by-state marijuana consumption, assuming pot were legalized. Source: Prof. Jeffrey Miron, "Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibitions," June 2005.