Legal Marijuana would SAVE Iowa's state budget

Iowa's state government is facing a budget deficit of over 600 Million dollars.  The economic effects of legalizing marijuana would not only save Iowa's budget deficit, but would leave Iowa in a surplus of cash.  The strategy would be simple:  Legalize, regulate and tax.  These three crucial steps would ensure that the government gets economic benefits from the legalized plant.  Also, in legalizing marijuana, the government would be saving money otherwise spent on campaigns against the drug.
Some argue that the societal cost of legalized marijuana would outweigh the benefits, but there is absolutely no proof that moderate use of marijuana would be any worse than any legal consumption of say, tobacco.  Ultimately, people will continue to use marijuana regardless of its legality, so why not exploit it to help government budget and open up a few more jobs?

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/02/17/Opinions/10080.html