If State OKs Medical Marijuana, Will Illinois Go Up in Smoke?

State Rep. Lou Lang's going to again try to win General Assembly approval to make marijuana for medical purposes legal -- and this time, he tells the Chicago Tribune, he has the votes to get it done.

That could mean a tax windfall for Illinois: Witness places such as Colorado, which netted $5 million in new state taxes in 2011, or Oakland, Calif., which collected $1.4 million with just four dispensaries last year.

But some say could also be a slippery slope, given the belief that some doctors may be too lenient when prescribing marijuana and that it will eventually lead to pot legalization. Just this month, voters in Colorado and Washington State approved such measures, although federal law still superceded state law on the issue.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.