From a Business Week article which used data from Canada to project what the revenue from Govt. sale of MJ could generate.

Originally Posted By: Business Week

What about possible tax revenue? From Canada we’ve learned that the production cost of (government-sponsored) marijuana is roughly 33¢ a gram. Currently, U.S. marijuana consumers pay at least $10 per gram retail for illegal marijuana. If the cost of retailing and distribution is the same as for legal tobacco cigarettes, about 10¢ a gram, then selling the (legal) product at exactly the same price as on the street today ($10 per gram) could raise $40 billion to $100 billion in new revenue. Not chump change. Government would simply be transferring revenue from organized crime to the public purse.


Is it going to solve the budget issue? Absolutely not. Could it add another $40-100 Billion a year into the Fed Tax Coffers, you damn well bet it would.

This would as well have a lateral effect on Crime in the US as more prison space would be freed up to house inmates for longer periods of there sentence and allow for more criminals of other crimes to take the place of those not being arrested for possession of marijuana based on the new laws that would have to be passed.

So the argument of the Prison Industry loosing money is total bullshit.

Don't make me have'ta Troll ya Bro!