There are projections out today that when pot becomes legal in Canada it could generate tax dollars that approach a billion dollars.
On the low end of things, that figure could be just over $300 million.
The provinces would get 60 per cent.
It's a far cry from the billions of dollars predicted.
The parliamentary budget officer is basing the information in his report on a gram costing between $6 and $15 dollars.
Pot Advocate Sarah Hanlon warns the feds better watch that price point. "In my experience, no one I know spends more than $10 a gram on weed, who smokes weed on a regular basis. If the government is going to creep up anywhere, I think they're smart to realize that anywhere beyond $10 is going right to the black market."
She says it's going to be a slow process to get tax revenues reaching billions of dollars a year."As we make weed more socially acceptable we're creating this huge, new market; this untapped resource. When we think about getting rich off of weed that's what we need to focus on. By making it socially acceptable we open doors to tourism, hospitality, food, fashion and culture."
The PBO suggests just over 4 million Canadians will use pot the first year it becomes legal. He has that figure creeping to just over 5 million three years later.