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Verify: Would legalizing and taxing marijuana boost the Texas economy?

Last year, Colorado took in over $266 million in pot taxes, with the total taken in since 2014 hovering around $1 billion. But how much would Texas make?

Whenever we do a story about proposals to legalize marijuana in Texas, viewers bring up how it could be a money maker for the state, pointing to the tax dollars Colorado is raking in. 

But is that true? Let's verify.

Our source for this story is Joe Bishop-Henchman, the executive vice president of the tax foundation.

Legal recreational pot sales started in Colorado on Jan. 1, 2014. According to the tax foundation, after a slow start tax revenue on pot sales, it now exceeds original expectations.

Last year, Colorado took in over $266 million in pot taxes, with the total taken in since 2014 hovering around $1 billion.

But how much would Texas make?

The tax foundation has actually crunched the numbers.

It says with a 15-percent tax rate Texas would take in $453 million a year.

Now that is a lot of money, but keep in mind the yearly budget for the state of Texas is over $100 billion -- that's billions with a "b."

And there are costs associated with legalizing marijuana -- for law enforcement, health enforcement and zoning.

So we can verify: yes, legalizing pot in Texas would make the state millions in tax dollars. 

But it is not enough to answer all the state's budget needs.

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