OLYMPIA — Washington tax coffers could get a $25 million boost by next July and nearly $200 million by mid-2017 from legal marijuana, state economists estimate. But much of that money is spoken for and won’t help the general fund.
The estimates for taxes and fees the state can expect from recreational marijuana, the first such available, are contained in overall economic and revenue forecasts released Thursday afternoon. In general, the state’s budget outlook is changed slightly for the better from the June forecast, economist Steve Lerch said.
The marijuana money won’t be much help to the state’s general fund budget, which pays for most salaries and programs outside of roads and construction. More than half the taxes and fees collected from pot are required to go to specific programs spelled out in Initiative 502, the ballot measure that made recreational use of the drug legal for adults.
